The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : ‘Mother of all waivers’

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Saturday, Mar 01, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

‘Mother of all waivers’

Special Correspondent

To benefit 60 lakh ryots: CM

Hails decision on mega cluster for Narsapur handicrafts
Architecture and Planning institute proposal welcomed

HYDERABAD: Terming the debt waiver and debt relief to farmers to the tune of Rs. 60,000 crore as the “mother of all waivers”, Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy said this initiative would benefit nearly 60 lakh farmers in Andhra Pradesh.

Reacting to the budget presented by Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram on Friday, Dr. Reddy stated at a press conference that farmers in the State would benefit to the tune of Rs. 10,000-12,000 crore.

The Chief Minister said the State could expect a grant of Rs. 3,000 crore from the Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP) since its allocation was substantially hiked. The decision to constitute Irrigation and Water Resources Finance Corporation would support the ongoing irrigation projects, he remarked. Dr. Reddy hailed the decision to establish an Institute of Architecture and Planning in Vijayawada and a mega cluster for handicrafts at Narsapur in West Godavari district to give a boost to the lace-making industry and hike in allocation of funds for the National Plant Protecting Institute in Hyderabad.

Meal scheme

He said the midday meal scheme would be implemented up to class VIII in all the Government schools with the Central funds. He announced that the Government would pitch in some more money to cover students of Classes IX and X.

Replying to a query on TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu claiming credit for the waiver of loans, Dr. Reddy asked what prevented the previous NDA Government from implementing such a package when the farmers were in the grip of the worst agrarian crisis during 2001-04.

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