Naidu comes seeking drought relief again

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu was in the Capital today, doing what he knows best, petitioning for Central funds for drough...

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu was in the Capital today, doing what he knows best, petitioning for Central funds for drought relief programmes in the state.

Naidu met Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee, his deputy L.K. Advani and members of the Task Force like Union Minister Sharad Yadav. Naidu’s list: Rs 2,374 crore for drought relief, 25 lakh metric tonnes of food grain, 5 lakh tonnes of grain for food-for-work programmes, another 6 lakh tonnes of grain for families in Below Poverty Line (BPL) and waiving of resettlement loans taken from Central government.

It was an optimistic Naidu who met the press later in the afternoon. ‘‘The Prime Minister said he would discuss the matter and look into it,’’ he said. ‘‘I am more confident this time as the PM looked slightly serious about my plea.’’ At the meeting, Naidu pointed to the surplus grain in central reserves while he had to ‘‘import 32-40 lakh tonnes of rice from Haryana and UP’’.

Reacting to a question on whether his clout with the NDA Government at the Centre has dipped vis-a-vis UP Chief Minister Mayawati, Naidu laughed out aloud but was evasive in his reply: ‘‘Things move very slowly in this country, I will keep pursuing my demands. The TDP is very committed to a welfare state.’’

Day after PM Modi’s visit to the town, Manipur’s Churachandpur sees violent protest

India7 hr ago

Protests in Manipur's Churachandpur turned violent as two men were arrested for damaging decorations for PM Modi's visit. The crowd demanded their release and attempted to storm the police station. The men were eventually released after a bail hearing. The incident occurred after a clash between locals and police on Thursday, but the situation had calmed down before Saturday's visit.

View all shorts

Live Blog