CM refutes WB conditions to loans; offers scrutiny by press

Hyderabad, Oct 28 (UNI) Making it clear that no conditions were attached to loans announced by the World Bank to Andhra Pradesh, Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy today offered to place all agreements with the World Bank in his office, for scrutiny by the newspersons.

Dr Reddy, who made a mid-term appraisal of his Government's performance in the last two-and-half years, told reporters that his Government was committed to economic reforms. ''Even the Centre is insisting on reforms. There is no question of reversal'', he reiterated.

He denied any secret agreements with the World Bank as alleged by the Left parties.

Initially, the World Bank officials had taken a lot of objections to Government's 'free power' scheme for farmers. ''We have told them, in clear terms, that it is a commitment to farmers to mitigate their distress. Whether they like it or not we will give it'', he added.

Even, World Bank Managing Director Grame Wheeler during an informal interaction wanted to know whether the Government was giving free power to 80 per cent of farmers. ''I corrected saying it is not 80 per cent but 95 per cent of farmers who enjoy the facility'', he affirmed.

Even while providing free power to farmers, the Government was reovced the level of subsidy to the power utilities and ensure that there was no power tariff hike for domestic, commercial and industrial sectors.

The power tariff for industries had been brought down by four per cent on an average, he said.

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