AP reorients priorities to fight drought

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Monday reiterated his government's commitment to reforms, but warned that the drought situation in the state may slow down things a bit.

Unveiling an action plan to help 10 million families at a district collectors' conference in Hyderabad, Naidu said his government has redrawn its priorities with focus on welfare and development.

Naidu pooh-poohed opposition allegations that he had abandoned the reforms agenda. "Our approach to reforms has not changed. However, we are reorienting our priorities since the unprecedented drought situation has impacted our state a lot," he said.

Responding to opposition's criticism of reforms, Naidu said countries like China, Malaysia and Singapore have all embraced reforms. "It is strange that political parties in India oppose reforms when they are in the opposition and pursue them when they are in power. Every political party should support reforms, irrespective of differences of opinion on political issues," he said.

The chief minister said his government has been pursuing overall reforms with focus on economic, administrative, labour, power and municipal reforms. "Our slogan is reforms with a human face. Hence, we are concentrating our efforts to protect the vulnerable sections -- the poorest of the poor -- and accelerate development of backward areas to bring them on par with advanced regions," he observed.

"Faster development comes from reforms," he said and added that his government has drawn an action plan to provide help to 10 million families in the next one year.

The welfare package includes new ration cards for 1 million households, pucca houses for 500,000 families, plots of land for 1 million families, toilets for 3.5 million houses, subsidised gas connections for 1 million families and economic benefits to 2 million beneficiaries.

Naidu said his government has drawn a Vision 2020 document, which targets a growth rate of 10.3 per cent in gross state domestic product and 9.4 per cent in per capita income.

Other goals include eradication of poverty by 2005, total literacy by the same year and bringing down population growth to 0.8 per cent per annum by 2020.