TDP Leader flays AP Govt on help to rain-affected farmers

Vijayawada, Mar 28 (UNI) Telugu Desam Parliamentary Party Leader K Yerran Naidu today flayed the State Government for its 'lackadaisical' attitude in helping farmers who were badly affected by the unseasonal rains on March 22 and 23.

Addressing the press here, Mr Naidu charged the Rajasekhara Reddy Government with not initiating measures to help the farmers whose standing crops were damaged due to heavy rainfall.

He said though 26 persons had lost their lives in rain-related incidents, the State Government was busy giving advertisements to the print media by hailing the rainfall in the State.

Such advertisements have caused anguish to the farmers who lost their standing crops because the heavy rainfall, Mr Naidu said and wondered what sort of message the government wanted to send to the ryots by giving such advertisements wasting tax payers' money Earlier, he consoled farmers in Vijayawada Rural Area who were in distress following loss of turmeric,chilli and maize crops.

Assuring the farmers the TDP would fight till the State Government comes to their, Mr Naidu said the party would also raise the issue in the second phase of the Budget Session of Parliament begining next month.

Speaking on the spiralling prices of essential commodities, Mr Naidu said the Centre and the State Governments had failed to take concrete steps to bring down the prices.

The prices of steel and cement were alarming and it was high time for the governments to arrest the prices, he said.

Mr Naidu said the inflation rate at present was 6.68 percent and castigated Union Finance Minister P Chidamabaram for his assurances that the Centre would take steps to see the inflation rate would not increase beyond 4.9 per cent.

UNI CS GM 2214