TDP ‘rethinking’ on Babu’s tall promises

VV Balakrishna
20 Sep 2008 04:37:00 AM IST

HYDERABAD: As feared, the promises made by TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu during his 117-day Meekosam Yatra across the State are turning out to be an albatross around his neck.

The TDP’s manifesto committee, which met today at the party office, found that the party would not be in a position to explain how the promises could be implemented as they ranged from providing domestic gas connections to women free of cost and reducing prices of domestic gas refills, to free distribution of text books to the children of poorer sections up to SSC.

The other promises that need a re-look include sanctioning of power connections to agriculture pump-sets to farmers on tatkal basis, waiver of loans taken by pledging the ornaments of women, and providing two pairs of uniforms to students studying in government schools.

The six-member manfesto committee, after examining the number of promises the party chief had made, concluded that the list had to be pruned to make it seem serious, discussed threadbare and reviewed.Headed by former finance minister Y Ramakrishnudu, the manifesto committee classified Naidu’s 208-odd promises into three categories — policy, financial and review.

For instance, inclusion of Dalit Christians among SCs was a policy matter and required no financial commitment. Thus, the party put the letter ‘P’ on the file. Promises such as free distribution of rice and 12-hour free power supply for farmers during daytime needed huge finances. Thus, the committee put ‘F’ on the file. But, the promises which would be difficult to implement because of legal problems or for want of finances, or which were beyond the jurisdiction of the State Government, such as the promise of domestic gas refills, had to be reviewed once again.

The party put ‘R’ on all such promises.

The ruling Congress leaders repeatedly alleged that Naidu was promising everything under the sky for want of power and that they were not practically implementable.

But, TDP leaders countered the allegation saying all the promises made by Naidu were viable. But now, the party is ‘rethinking’ on around 15 per cent of the 208 promises made by Naidu.