Cong refuts TDP's charge of neglecting backward classes

Hyderabad, Mar 10 (UNI) The Andhra Pradesh Congress Commitee (APCC) today denied the opposition Telugu Desam Party(TDP) President N Chandrababu Naidu's charge that the state government was neglecting the backward classes.

Party official spokesperson N Thulasi Reddy, in a statement here pointed out that the government had earmarked more budget allocations during the last three years for the welfare of Scheduled Castes, Scheduld Tribes and Backward Classes in the state.

Apart from allocating Rs 3,073 crore in the 2007-08 budget, the government had made an upward revision of the social welfare hostels mess charge by 25 per cent.

The government had handed over dwelling sites to 5.14 lakh poor people in the state and provided 50.58 lakh new ration cards with a view to helping the poor people, he said and asserted that the Congress government was committed to the welfare of the poor and backward classes.

During the last three years the government had disrtributed 4.37 lakh acres of land to the poor people and earmaked Rs 500 crore for the development of the lands under the Indira Prabha scheme, he said alleging that Mr Naidu was making baseless allegations against the Government and the Congress only to gain political advantage.

UNI