The Hindu : Cong. MLAs flay CM's decision to distribute `mangalasutras'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, May 26, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh

Cong. MLAs flay CM's decision to distribute `mangalasutras'

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD May 25. Women legislators belonging to the Congress ridiculed the Chief Minister's decision to distribute "mangalasutras'' to families who are below the poverty line during weddings and cycles to schoolgoing girls as sops to woo voters here on Sunday.

Recalling the suicide of farmers and weavers in recent times, they accused the Government of driving breadwinners of many families to suicide by resorting to forcible collection of power dues and loans and said it is ironical that the same Government should now talk of giving mangalasutras. The MLAs, Sabita Indra Reddy, V.Suneeta Laxma Reddy, K.Surekha and G.Kuthuhalamma, in a statement said women in rural areas were pledging their `mangalasutrams' to repay loans due to the policies of the Government.

The Chief Minister is in the habit of making false promises, they said, recalling his scheme to sanction Rs.5,000 to the girl child, widow pensions and old age pensions. It would be better if the Government first clarified how many such welfare measures were implemented in reality by releasing a white paper, they said.

Attributing the decision of the Chief Minister to announce welfare measures as a foil to the popularity of Y.S.Rajasekhara Reddy's padayatra, they said the Government is jittery at the huge turnout of women at the meetings of the CLP leader. The latest announcement of the Chief Minister is only to divert the attention of women from the Congress, but women were no more believing Mr. Naidu and would teach the TDP a fitting lesson in the next elections, they said.

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Cong. MLAs flay CM's decision to distribute `mangalasutras'