The Hindu Business Line : Cong Govt completes a mixed year in office

CELEBRATION TIME: A glass painting of Mahatma Gandhi at Gandhi Bhavan, the Congress party headquarters in Hyderabad. The party office has come alive as the Congress Government celebrates the first anniversary of its return to power on Friday. - A. Roy Chowdhury

Hyderabad , May 13

IT'S one year since the Congress (I)-led coalition Government headed by Dr Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy took over the reins in Andhra Pradesh.

The year gone by is marked by a mixed bag of bouquets and brickbats.

The Government can count some achievements on at least four fronts - irrigation, IT, electricity to farmers and industry and boost to film industry.

During the year, it initiated efforts to revive rural economy by taking up irrigation projects worth Rs 46,000 crore. It attempted to support the industry by offering sops such as reducing power tariff to new units and progressive reduction for existing units.

The Rajasekhara Reddy Government has also come to the rescue of the film industry by cracking the whip on piracy and lifting the tax slab system.

On the much-hyped information technology front, the State's approach has paid off with the sector gaining momentum on its own. IT exports shot up to Rs 8,270 crore during 2004-05, up from Rs 5,025 crore the previous year.

Mr D. Prasada Rao, Revenue Minister, termed the distribution of 1.55 lakh acres to the poor, mostly to women, as a big achievement. "It happened nowhere," he claimed. Critics are still left wondering how these farm labourers can turn the barren land into arable.

The Government faced criticism for reducing the scope of free power scheme by excluding "rich farmers". Dr Reddy, however, contended that the modification was needed to make the scheme more effective.

The Government claimed that there was a sharp decline in number of suicides by farmers as a result of variety of measures taken by it.

The World Bank, too, was not happy with the way the Government acted on continuing PSU reforms. Free power was another factor that had upset the Bank. It felt that it would offset the gains recorded by the power sector in the last few years. On the investment front also, the State did not fare well, as hardly any foreign direct investment materialised.

Promises of huge investments from corporates, however, were being harped upon by the Government.

A major failure of the Government was the breakdown of the talks process with naxalites. Dr Reddy, who had promised unconditional talks with the two naxalite parties in his electoral campaign, went back, insisting on shunning of arms for continuing the talks.

The Government succeeded in making the first round happen by creating congenial atmosphere. However, things were thrown out of gear by what the naxalites claim as `encounters' by the police. The Government also hardened its stance as it faced stepped up attacks.

The general law and order situation, too, has been gradually worsening. The Opposition TDP alleged that 52 of their cadre, including the six died today at Penugonda police firing, were killed during the year. "This included our senior leader Paritala Ravindra," a Telugu Desam spokesman told Business Line.

The civil rights groups said at least 100 naxalites were killed. About 1,600 farmers committed suicide. Of this, 800 were `genuine', while others reportedly committed suicide over non-farm related issues.

Though it claims to be low-key and has brought down the `hype and hoopla' that marked the previous regime of Telugu Desam, led by Mr N. Chandrababu Naidu, the Congress Government seems to have outdone its predecessor when it comes to publicity blitzkriegs.

Surprisingly, both Dr Rajasekhara Reddy and Mr K. Rosaiah criticised Mr Chandrababu Naidu for spending crores of rupees on publicity. But they soon surpassed the TDP Government record on this count.

If Mr Chandrababu Naidu harped on Janmabhoomi programme, Dr Reddy kicked off a similar programme `Prajapatham'. Besides, there were several yatras such as `Rajiv Palle Baata' and `Rythu Chaitanya Yatra'.

The greatest success of Dr Rajasekhara Reddy was on the political front. He could see to it that there was no active dissent in the party against his leadership. No other leader had been allowed to emerge as an alternative power centre that could pose a threat to leadership.

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