Congress criticises TDP's demand for AP CM's resignation

Hyderabad, Jan 4 (UNI) The Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) today criticised Telugu Desam Party leader M V Mysoora Reddy's demand for Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy's resignation when the government was striving hard to curb corruption in the State.

Talking to newspersons here, APCC spokesperson N Thulasi Reddy alleged that Andhra Pradesh witnessed maximum corruption during the nine-year tenure of TDP.

Mr Thulasi alleged that TDP President N Chandrababu Naidu had only possessed two acres of land when he entered politics, but had accumulated crores of rupees and became one of the richest politicians in the country.

The spokesperson said Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) had conducted 365 raids on government officials as against 184 in 2004, to curb corruption.

He claimed 'Transparency International', an international organisation, which had conducted a survey in the country, stated that the state occupied the fourth position among the less corrupt States in the country. The State was attempting to top the list, he added.

Mr Thulasi said the TDP government had taken action against only four officials during its tenure, as against 13 in the last three years by the present government.

He alleged that the TDP government during its tenure, had not submitted the yearly reports of the Vigilance Commissioner Samal, whereas the State Government had accepted 86 per cent of the suggestions in the report given by the former official.

The government had spent crores of rupees on welfare schemes in the last three-and-a-half years without imposing any additional tax burden on the people, he added.

UNI BR VA DS KK KN1812