Congress criticises TDP Chief's accusation on relief work

Vijayawada, Nov 6 (UNI) Senior Congress leader and Kankipadu MLA Devineni Rajasekhar today criticised TDP Chief N Chandrababu Naidu's allegation that the Andhra Pradesh Government had failed to come to the rescue of the people battered by the heavy rains.

Talking to media here, he said Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy immediately toured flood-hit areas after the cyclone-affected Krishna district and announced compensation to partially and fully damaged houses due to the floods.

Dr Reddy said the party would welcome Mr Naidu visiting the district for consoling flood-hit people but he should not make baseless allegations on the State Government on flood relief.

The officials rose to the situation and took relief measures in the villages, he said and asked Mr Naidu to give suggestions on the issue and point out the mistakes of the Government, if any.

Expressing surprise at Mr Naidu's demand for giving 50 kg rice to each family in the flood-affected areas, he said, during the tenure of the TDP, Mr Naidu did not provide 20 kg rice, which the Congress Government was giving now.

Though the Chief Minister announced that Rs 750 would be given for the damaged paddy crop per acre and 50 per cent subsidy on seeds for fresh crop, the TDP President was demanding Rs 5000 per acre, which was not implemented when he was Chief Minister, he charged.

On the drainage system in Krishna District, the erstwhile TDP had spent Rs 21 crore during its nine-year rule, whereas the State Government had already spent Rs 5.78 crore in the last two years and another Rs 1.70 crore, would be spent in the coming days, he added.

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