Naidu to JKlead agitation in support of poor in AP

Hyderabad, Jan 31 (UNI) Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu will lead the opposition Telugu Desam Party(TDP)'s statewide stir on February 5 in protest against ''anti-poor'' Congress Government in the State.

Mr Naidu will give a ''battle cry'' against the Y S Rajasekhara Reddy Government, symbolically blowing the conch in support of the poor people at the party's ''Pedala Chankaravam'' in Chittor even as senior TDP leaders would lay siege to Mandal Revenue Offices all over the state, TDP Legislature Party Deputy Leader T Devender Goud told a press conference here.

The TDP would hold talks with like-minded parties to step up stir against the ''anti-people'' policies of the Government, he added.

Mr Goud alleged that various sections of people, including scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, backward classes and minorities were finding it difficult to eke out a living due to skyrocketing of prices.

Backward Class students were forced to donate blood due to alleged failure of the Government to release scholarship, he lamented.

The Congress Government had neglected the Welfare sector with no independent minister to take care of the Social Welfare, Housing and Backward Classes Welfare, former Social Welfare Minister J Pushparaj and party spokesman M Narasimhulu alleged.

Referring to the State Government's decision to locate the premier Indian Institute of Technology(IIT) in Medak district, instead of at Basara, as originally proposed, Mr Goud said the TDP would join the all party road blockade agitation tomorrow.

Replying to a question, he said the party was against the State Government's proposal to form ''Greater Hyderabad'' as it would be unwieldly to administer. Civic amenities were not being provided in many of the areas of the twin cities even now, he claimed, opining that it would be better, if two or three municipalities were merged into a single Corporation.

UNI