AP Council adopts motion of thanks

Hyderabad, Feb 22 (UNI) The Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council today adopted the motion of thanks for the Governor's address after Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy replied to discussion on the Governor's address.

Council Chairman A Chakrapani announced that 38 amendments moved by opposition were lost and put the motion of thanks to voice vote which was adopted.

Earlier, the Chief Minister, in his reply, said the government had adopted transparent methods to prevent irregularities in the massive INDIRAMMA housing scheme and 'Jalayagnam' programme to construct 74 pending and new irrigation projects at an estimated cost of over Rs one lakh crore.

As many as 12 project works were completed while 27 project works would be completed by March 2009, he added.

Maintaining that the state had registered significant growth in IT exports and industrial investments since 2004, Dr Reddy said more than Rs 70,000 crore worth investments were in the pipeline in the state.

Alleging that the opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP), which neglected the agriculture sector during its nine-year regime, was raising the farmers' issues to gain political mileage, he pointed out that the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for paddy was reduced compared to Wheat in the TDP-supported NDA regime.

The MSP for paddy was enhanced by Rs 195 in the last four years as against Rs 60 increased during the last four year regime of the TDP in the state, Dr Reddy observed.

Stating that the Centre had proposed to waive off loans taken by farmers from cooperative banks, he said the TDP was raising the issue of waiver of bank loans for peasants after the Centre took up the issue.

UNI AP VA SP LR KP1711