AP Govt to provide package to farmers: YSR

Hyderabad, May 14 (UNI) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy today said a package was being evolved to provide about Rs 4000 to Rs 5000 to each small farmer who had already paid his loan.

Farmers would be provided crop loans at a mere three per cent from this Khariff season, he said.

Under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme, Rs 3000 crore would be spent this year to provide employment to 78 lakh landless labourers, he said.

In keeping with its poll promise, the Congress Government had not hiked power tariff for the last four years, he added.

Pradesh Congress President D Srinivas criticised TDP President Chandrababu Naidu for undertaking ''Meekosam Yatra'' ostensibly for the ''sake of the people,'' in the election year after working for himself when in power. This was only a ''betrayal'' of the people once again, he alleged.

After dubbing farming as waste, Mr Naidu was making money selling vegetables at high prices through his ''Heritage Foods'' outlets, he alleged.

He assured the cadre the party would provide prominence for Other Backward Classes, women and youth while selecting candidates for the 2009 Lok Sabha and Assembly Elections in the State.

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