Naidu hints at quota for upper castes

​Tirupati: The State government is planning to provide reservations to the poor among upper castes. It would soon take up a survey based on which it will decide on the benefits it should extend to the economically backward among the upper castes, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said here on Friday.

Delivering the inaugural address at the Telugu Desam Party's three-day annual conclave Mahanadu, party national prsesident Naidu said backward classes have been the “backbone” of the TDP since its inception and hence the government had drafted a special sub-plan for BC welfare with a budgetary allocation of Rs 8,600 crore this year.

“Similarly, we are providing benefits worth Rs 1,000 crore to the Kapu community. We have constituted a commission to get Kapus included in the backward classes list and extend reservation benefit. For Brahmins, too, we are providing financial assistance for education and self-employment. There are poor among other upper classes as well.

We will conduct a survey to determine their economic status, Naidu said. On BJP-TDP alliance, Naidu said they were aligned with BJP only to overcome the troubles caused by the bifurcation (of the State). The TDP supremo inaugurated a blood donation camp and a photo exhibition marking the inauguration of Mahanadu.

In his speech, the Chief Minister launched a scathing attack against the Opposition parties more so the YSR Congress party.
Naidu accused the Opposition parties of stalling development in the State for their vested interests and repeatedly exhorted the party activists to improve their capability to repulse the opposition attack.

In his 75-minute long speech, Naidu mainly focused on hitting hard at the opposition parties, calling on the party activists again and again to develop themselves and the party to make it invincible and to expose the opposition to see the people reject them and his relentless efforts to get more help from the Centre and ensure that the promises made to the State were fulfilled at the earliest.

Naidu reeled out the achievements of his government and said his government has done more than it promised during elections.
Making a scathing attack on YSRCP and its chief Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, he said that it was his party which was behind the unprecedented Tuni violence during Kapu agitation and went one step ahead by saying that his family has a criminal and violent background and not the people of Kadapa.

He went on explaining how the opposition tried to stall the land acquisition for Amaravati capital city and Bhogapuram airport and tried to create confusion in the minds of the people of Godavari districts on Pattiseema project. Further, he pointed that YSRCP has so far not spoke single word against the menace of red sanders smuggling even as the TDP government went all out to wipe out the smugglers to end RS smuggling, hinting that the leaders of the party were hand-in-glove with the smugglers.

`They (opposition parties) shed only crocodile tears and were never interested in the development of the State and peoples’ welfare’’ he averred. Stating that he had visited Delhi about 20 times to press the Centre to fulfill the promises, Naidu observed that Centre’s help so far was much less than the required to enable the State to wriggle out of difficulties due to the bifurcation.

Citing the statistics about the per capita income of the southern States, Naidu said Andhra Praedesh with the lowest per capita income deserves special category status and added `There is no question of turning back till the State becomes number one in the country’. Paying his tributes to party founder N T Rama Rao, he said TDP was born to protect the self respect of Telugus and also their rich tradition, culture and language which is unifying force of Telugus all over the globe.

Before winding up his long speech, Naidu said that the party is committed to the welfare of the party workers and mentioned the measures taken up by the party for their welfare. He wanted them to work as a disciplined soldiers’ to strengthen the party and the government for the benefit of the people. He also assured support party cadre in Telangana and asked them to fight against tyranny rule in the State.

He also said that government will observe Nava Nirmana Deekha from June 2 to 8 to mark the completion of the two year rule of TDP. Naidu said as part of the week-long celebration which also coincides with formation of residuary Andhra Pradesh (June 2), meetings will be held in the first five days in all constituencies and district to explain the government achievements and ask party cadre to actively involve in the delovepment of the State.

Naidu urged the party activists not to cause any in convenience to the pilgrim visiting Tirumala and sought them to vacate the rooms if they were occupying TTD amenities complexes which meant only for pilgrims