Date:03/10/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/10/03/stories/2008100354670400.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Fight corruption: Naidu

S. Harpal Singh

Launches campaign against graft in higher places

crowd puller: TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu addressing a large gathering at the Mancherial tri-junction in Adilabad district on Thursday.

MANCHERIAL (ADILABAD DT.): Telugu Desam Party president N. Chandrababu Naidu has exhorted the people to fight against the corruption in higher places in the Congress government.

“You have inspired me. Let us together declare we will not tolerate this corruption,” said Mr. Naidu, who was enthused by the milling crowd of his partymen at Mancherial-Luxettipet-Chennur tri-junction on Thursday during the launch of the party’s month-long campaign against corruption.

The TDP president chose Mancherial for the launch of the campaign because of the location of Yellampalli project nearby.

Mr. Naidu told that the Yellampally project was a ‘symbol’ of unchecked corruption and it was a proper place to launch frontal attack on the Government. Before staging dharna at the tri-junction, Mr. Naidu visited the project site where he asserted that the misappropriated money would be recovered from Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, Irrigation Minister Ponnala laxmaiah and the contracting firm after TDP comes back to power.

Inflated estimates

He reiterated the accusation that the estimates of the project had been raised twice from Rs. 933 crore to Rs. 1,650 crore without ascribing any reason. He assured the dam oustees of withdrawing cases against them and settling the matter of compensation and rehabilitation on a priority basis as he predicted his party’s come back after the next elections.

TDP general secretary Kadiam Srihari, district president Gone Hanmanth Rao and others attended .