Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy has warned that misuse of the Rs two-a-kg rice scheme, which he launched here on Wednesday, would not be tolerated at any cost and severe punishment would be handed out to anyone indulging in it.
He said this was the flagship programme of the State government targeted to benefit 85 per cent of State’s population. He appealed to the Opposition parties to extend their cooperation.
Drawing a distinction between the subsidised rice schemes of his government and that of the Telugu Desam 25 years ago, he said the difference was in the quality of rice supplied. The TDP distributed rice that was sold in open market at Rs three a kg whereas the material now supplied was available for Rs. 16 to 18. Moreover, the coverage during the TDP rule was only 30 per cent of population.
The TDP withdrew all three major promises it made before 1994 elections – Rs two-a-kg rice scheme, total prohibition and Rs. 50 a horse power scheme for agricultural pumpsets.
On the contrary, the Congress was going ahead vigorously implementing the promises made in the last elections, he said. The implementation of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme was a big success. The Food For Work programme taken up by the Telugu Desam regime was confined to TDP activists alone. Dr. Reddy said the government would release Rs. 90 lakh a mandal for construction of cement concrete roads