Use Racha Banda to corner Congress: Babu directs party cadre

Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday alleged that the state government was trying to cover its shortcomings in providing proper administration through the Racha banda programme.

Talking to media persons at his residence after conducting a teleconference with party district rank and file over the petro price hike, Mr Naidu charged that Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy was attempting to cover up the Congress negligence in governance through the Racha Banda. The TDP chief added that such attempts to cover loopholes and deficiencies and to diver the attention of people will be met with failure since the public has seen through the tactics.

Mr Naidu further revealed that he had directed his party cadre to highlight the rampant corruption and long pending public grievances in the Racha Banda. The TDP chief also told his party workers to highlight the targeting of party workers and covering these killings by terming them as faction wars.

He also asked his party Legislators to question the government on implementation of its own welfare schemes for poor and backward class people and to demand that action should be taken against officials who are involved in corruption.

Referring to former chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy, Mr Naidu said that he had concentrated only on amassing wealth for his family and his son YS Jaganmohan Reddy was now using that money power to make his own mark in state politics. The TDP chief directed his party workers to highlight the alleged involvement of Mr Jaganmohan Reddy with factionalism, links with criminal gangs and land grabbing and ‘settlement’ issues.

Mr Naidu asked his party cadre to enlighten the people about these facts and also explain how the confidence they had reposed in the Congress was misutilised.

Referring to the verdict given by Krishna River Water Tribunal, the TDP chief said that the State lost its rights on the Krishna river waters as the government was negligent in appointing efficient counsels who would put forth its argument properly.

Saying that only his party was providing a strong and efficient administration, the TDP chief charged the Congress and Telangana Rashtra Samithi of forming a tacit pact on the separate statehood issue to defame his party. This tacit pact should be put before the people, Mr Naidu told his party cadre.

The former chief minister also told his party workers to remind the people of the non-issue of fresh ration cards, non-enhancement of old age and other pensions, failure to implement the Congress manifesto and increase the rice quota from the present 20 kg to 30 kg.

Mr Naidu further pointed out that failure to pay the input subsidy to farmers who lost crops during the recent rains, harassment by microfinance institutions’ strongmen and other issues should be raised during the Racha Banda programme.