India News

GUNTUR: Reiterating his charges against the Rajasekhara Reddy, TDP supremo Chandrababu Naidu warned that his party would not allow the Congress government to construct irrigation projects for the sake of kickbacks. He said TDP would support only such projects as would benefit the people, even as he promised at least 40 per cent of TDP seats to youth in the next elections.

Addressing a mammoth gathering at Yuvagarjana meeting on Wednesday, Naidu promised a Rs 50,000-crore package over a five-year period for a youth empowerment scheme (YES) if was voted to power. He asserted that this scheme would be the answer to all the problems faced by the youth. He even promised to create a separate ministry to look after youth welfare.

In his please-all address, Naidu promised to allot 100 seats to the leaders belonging to backward classes and a separate bank for the welfare of people of these communities. He said the bank would have a reserve fund of Rs 2,000 crore to facilitate development of all BCs, particularly weavers, toddy tappers and blacksmiths.

Referring to the victory of Barack Obama, Naidu joked that the Republicans lost elections only because of the `support’ extended by the All-India Congress Committee. “No one survived, including McCain and George Bush, who depended on the Congress.”

Vowing to fight till the `corrupt’ Congress government was unseated in the state, he charged the Congress high command, including party chief Sonia Gandhi, with accepting bribes from YSR. “It is a shame on the part of the chief minister to allow the ministers to continue in the cabinet who traded corruption charges.”

Further, Naidu said the CM has prepared an elaborate plan to grab the entire coastal lands in the name of industrial development after eating away valuable land in and around the state capital. He accused that the CM has direct involvement in illegally allowing bauxite, iron ore and granite mining in the state. “He has set his eyes on all natural resources in the state. He will not leave anything if he is allowed to continue in the seat,” Naidu warned.

Earlier, TDP politburo member Harikrishna said that Yuvagarjna was a countdown for the demise of the Congress regime in the state.