TDP castigates Cong Govt for lopsided budget

Hyderabad, Feb 21 (UNI) The opposition Telugu Desam today alleged the Congress regime in Andhra Pradesh had neglected social welfare, health and education by giving undue emphasis to irrigation to 'indulge in corruption'.

Initiating the debate on the budget in the Assembly, TDP Legislature Party deputyleader T Devender Goud alleged rampant corruption in the irrigation initiative of the Rajasekhara Reddy Government and 'neglect' of major irrigation projects in the backward Telangana region, including Chevella-Pranahita.

Though the Congress was in power in Andhra Pradesh, in Maharashtra and at the Centre, it was unable to stop the Bobbili Project across the river Godavari taken up by the upper riparian state, he said.

Referring to the Lok Ayukta serving notice to the Government for alleged irregularities in the Yellampalli project, he claimed Rs 400 crore had changed hands. He would move even the High Court and Supreme Court to ensure corruption charges were proved, he said.

The Government had turned the State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation into a realtor to fill its coffers through sale of land to entrepreneurs, Mr Goud claimed.

The so-called 'pro-peasant Government' had neglected farmers, he alleged and referred to continued suicides and fall in foodgrain production despite normal rainfall, leading to bringing the ilems from Punjab.

Agricultural growth declined to 2.6 per cent though the government claimed it was in a position to increase it to six per cent even after the Planning Commission projected four per cent growth.

'It is unfortunate the authorities are forcing farmers not to raise paddy nurseries as it is not in a position to supply power to energise pumpsets.' The government was trying to create an 'illusion' with a staggering Rs 80,996 crore budget. There was 15 per cent gap between budget allocation and actual spending in previous years.

The Government's submission that it had not resorted to 'ways and means' advance from the RBI was no big achievement as only two states - Kerala and Nagaland - had resorted to overdraft, he said.

The Congress, which dubbed the previous TDP Government's excise policy as revenue-driven for projecting income of Rs 1800 crore from liquor sale, should say how it proposed to raise revenue of Rs 4,100 crore from liquor sale.

The Government had turned a blind eye to the problem of backward classes, including handloom weavers, he claimed, adding BCs would not get justice from the 'feudalistic' Congress. Over 650 handloom weavers had committed suicide as the government was not helping them. UNI