TDP to deliver new message on 'Mahanadu'

Hyderabad, May 25 (UNI) The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) would give a new message to the people of Andhra Pradesh during the three-day Silver Jubilee ''Mahanadu'' to be held at Tirupati from May 27, TDP President N Chandrababu Naidu said today.

Addressing a press conference here, he said the party would discuss various issues concerning the state, the party's future programmes in view of the state assembly elections in 2009 and measures to be taken to further strengthen the party organisations.

Mr Naidu alleged corruption had increased manifold and the Congress government in the state and the UPA government at the Centre had failed to control it on all fronts, including agricultre, irrigation, health and education.

The state government had not shown any interest in the welfare of the farmers in the state, he alleged.

The economic conditions of the farmers had not improved due to lack of remunerative prices for their produce, he added.

He charged that because of the wrong policies of the Centre, agricultural production had come down and the country was importing wheat and pulses.

He alleged the state government was looting the public in the name of Special Economic Zones (SEZ). The poor people's lands were acquired by the government to distribute the same to the rich, facilitating their real estate business.

Even WTO had disclosed that employment opportunities could not be created through SEZs, he noted.

Mr Naidu also criticised the state government for not taking any action on the District Primary Education Programme (DPEP) running into several crores of rupees.

The TDP President also alleged that the government was resorting to 'blackmail politics' against the opposition and the media, who highlighted the corrupt practices of the government.

He said the TDP would fight against the anti-people and anti-farmer policies of the state government.

The government had done away with the food subsidies and prices of essential commodities had increased. It had failed to control the price hike. The state government had neglected the welfare sector also and failed to provide scholarships to the SC, ST and other Backward classes, he charged.

UNI