The Hindu : Naidu rules out release of Cong. MLA

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Feb 19, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh

Naidu rules out release of Cong. MLA

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD FEB. 18. The Opposition's demand for an apology from the Government and its plea for an unconditional release of the jailed Kollapur Congress MLA, J. Krishna Rao, were turned down by the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, N.Chandrababu Naidu, in the Assembly on Tuesday. Acrimony marked the debate as the issue got centered on the arrest of the MLA rather than the plight of farmers as was sought by the notice under 304.

The Chief Minister ridiculed the charge of the Congress that the MLA was being victimised for undertaking the farmers' cause.

The motive behind Mr. Krishna Rao's preference to go to jail was beyond one's comprehension, Mr. Naidu argued, as the MLA could have just walked out signing a personal bond.

The Opposition was attempting to project the MLA as a selfless fighter but the truth spoke otherwise, he said. The Transco Assistant Engineer was only discharging his duty in seizing starters in power theft cases of the Kollapur area. The projection of the entire episode as a fallout of his instructions to pull up officials was also misleading as he had never asked anyone to humiliate sincere officials.

The Government could not risk troubling farmers further by giving a chance to the Transco officials to launch a stir, he said.

The leader of the Opposition, Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, countering the version, said the MLA had only gone to Veepanagandla village as farmers complained to him of harassment. Officials of Transco were not heeding the instructions of the Chief Minister to stop forcible collections.

Farmers reeling under unprecedented drought conditions were facing intense harassment. Dr. Reddy asked whether the Government was sincere in its commitment given to farmers and whether it would initiate action against erring officials.

The Government could as well bear the little extra cost of free power supply as it was wasting Rs. 300 crores annually on publicity alone.

The Chief Minister ruled out the proposal as impractical and said that he was not prepared to push the State into deeper crisis by making unviable promises.

If the Congress was interested in implementing such programmes, it could do so in the States where it was in power. The Government had instructed officials to treat agri-connections disconnected and send no bills to farmers if those were declared as `unused.' So far, 35,347 farmers had availed themselves of this facility. Dues could also be paid in four instalments.

The treasury benches protested the suggestion of the Congress MLA, T. Jeevan Reddy, that a case under 306 of IPC could also be booked against the Chief Minister as an official of the rank of Superintending Engineer committed suicide after being humiliated by the former at a gram sabha in Eluru recently.

Congress leaders must be hanged till death for neglecting the State in all the years they ruled, G. Butchaiah Chowdary of the Telugu Desam, said.

Shifted to Chanchalguda jail

Our Correspondent in Mahabubnagar writes:

Mr. Krishna Rao was, meanwhile, granted permission to attend the Assembly session by the Magistrate of Special Mobile Court, Nagarkurnool.

Accordingly, Mr. Rao was shifted to Chanchalguda jail in Hyderabad today. He told presspersons that until his demand, including payment of compensation to the farmers who lost their crops by seizer of starters and other wires by the Transco officials and announcement of special package to Mahabubnagar district on the lines of Anantapur district were met, he would not sign any bail bond papers.

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