YSR, Not Naidu, Stood For Rural Uplift: YSRCP

Ridiculing TDP leader N Chandrababu Naidu for his claims of being the champion of Panchayat Raj institutions, the YSR Congress has said that his statement is "full of blatant lies" as, according to it, it was Y S Rajasekhar Reddy who had strived for rural development.

"Naidu's statement that YSR was against village development will have no takers, as Naidu carries with him the tag of 'World Bank Agent' while YSR rolled out a green carpet in rural areas through his pro-farmer schemes," party MLA Bhumana Karunakar Reddy told reporters on Monday.

"YSR is the face of rural Andhra Pradesh, and people in villages identify themselves with him as the Jala Yagnam, Aarogyasri, Fees Reimbursement, Pavala Vaddi and other schemes have immensely benefitted the rural areas," he said.

"Naidu, on the other hand, has the dubious distinction of calling agriculture a wasteful vocation as it would yield nothing worthwhile. He has been advocating the World Bank's policies, and was responsible for people moving away from villages," he said.

He added that during the TDP's term in office, farmers were driven to indebtedness, which led to suicides as the power tariff was high, input subsidies were non-existent and Naidu was inclined towards corporatisation, leaving the rural areas in the lurch.

"YSR brought back life into the rural areas, with loan waivers, free power and other welfare schemes. Naidu now claiming that he is the champion of panchayat raj institutions is absurd. During YSR's term, his (YSR's) party won more than 78% of the local bodies' elections, while the TDP could hardly get a 30% mandate," he said.

He added, "The scenario did not change much even now, and people will not believe Naidu's tall claims, as they have experienced his 9-year misrule."

"People's memory is not short, and they will teach the TDP a lesson," he said, and quoted from Naidu's book "Mee Kosam", in which he allegedly undermined village and rural institutions.

"Naidu has questioned the importance of self-help groups, and the necessity of sarpanches, in the book, and demeaned the elected representatives. He wanted sarpanches to follow the officials and their instructions, and not the other way. Elected representatives were being directed by nodal officers in the TDP's regime, which spelt doom for the villages, while YSR has given a new lease of life to the panchayat raj institutions," he said. (INN)