AP CM writes letter to PM expressing gratitude

Hyderabad, Mar 1 (UNI) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy today expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for announcing debt relief scheme for farmers in the Union Budget for 2008-09, presented by Finance Minister P Chidambaram yesterday.

In a letter to the Prime Minister, a copy of which was released to the press here, he said, ''I am particularly grateful to you for acceding my request to extend the scheme to even those accounts which were rescheduled as per the special scheme implemented in 2004 and 2006.'' Stating that no other Government took more initiatives than the UPA government under Dr Singh's leadership for the welfare of the farmers, Dr Reddy said his State would be the largest beneficiary of the debt relief scheme.

''It is ironical that neither the erstwhile TDP nor the NDA government thought it fit even to reschedule the loans, let alone their waiver during the real distress period,'' he said, adding that the State, as per advanced estimates, was poised to achieve 190 lakh tonnes of foodgrains production this year.

UNI AP VA GT AS1700