TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu has said that his was a party of the poor.
Some 100 members of the State Rajaka Sangham (washermen’s association) led by Parameswar and Chandrasekhar have met Naidu at the NTR Trust Bhavan, party’s headquarters here and thanked him for announcing 100 seats for the BCs in the next election and a separate plan with Rs 10,000 crores for their welfare.
Addressing them, Naidu said that the TDP government gave priority to development of the weaker and backward classes of the society. He told them that late N T Rama Rao had launched the party only for the welfare of these sections. Stating that the TDP government had constructed dobhi ghats that benefited more than 20,000 washer men, he said the entire community was even today with his party. He also said that his government had supplied power at subsidized rates, benefiting 70,000 families. He also mentioned that the community was given loans through the BC corporation.
He lamented that caste-based vocations were totally neglected after the Congress came to power. He alleged that the present government had totally weakened the Rajaka Federation, by stopping allocation of funds to it. He sarcastically commented that the ruling party leaders had not shown as much interest in the welfare of the BCs as they had shown in robbing lands and even hillocks. He assured that his party would strive to get the Rajaka caste included in the SC list. He said there was still a need to take up more welfare schemes to the community.
C. Mallesh, Sriramulu, Kakinada Ramulu, Kanakachary and others also participated in the program. Later, leaders of the committee against political reservations Devalla Mallikarjuna Rao, Koriballi Esubabu, A Venkateswarlu have met Naidu and discussed with him about political reservations.
Talking to them, Naidu said that untouchability and atrocities on the weaker sections were now rampant in the State as the Congress government has failed to make appointments to the SC, ST Commission constituted during the TDP rule. He said that thousands of petitions on atrocities were pending before the Commission. (NSS)