HYDERABAD, 22 August 2005 — Prime Minister Manmohan Singh exuded confidence that poverty could be eradicated in 10 years so that India would gain its due place in the comity of nations through socio-economic development.
Speaking at a function to mark the launch of the second phase of Andhra Pradesh government’s land distribution program at Medak town yesterday, Manmohan said it would be possible to overcome poverty and unemployment thanks to the various initiatives of the UPA government.
He said the Bharat Nirman scheme would be launched in all the states this year to tackle poverty. The Employment Guarantee Bill, enacted by the Parliament, sought to provide assured gainful employment to the rural poor.
He distributed “pattas” or title deeds to 10 women marking the launch of the land distribution scheme under which envisaged assignment of 16.8 million acres of land to 105,000 landless poor across the state.
In his 30-minute address in Hindi, the prime minister said that in the next four to five years, all villages would be provided drinking water, electricity, basic health and education services, telephone facilities and roads.
He expressed confidence that in the next two to three years, there would be no child out of school and all women and children in rural areas would have access to basic health services.
He said the government also planned to bring 10 million hectares of land under irrigation in a five-year period.
He said agriculture, small-scale industry and handloom sector were being provided higher quantum of assistance by the banks. He exhorted the people, especially women to actively participate in all government schemes aimed at eliminating poverty and unemployment.
He asked panchayat raj institutions to act as watchdogs to prevent corruption and wrongdoing in implementation of these schemes.
Manmohan said he considered Medak a historic place as “our beloved leader and former Prime Minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi had represented this constituency in Parliament.” He told the people that the union government would work with the state government to make Medak a model district.
Applauding the state government’s land distribution scheme, he said this would benefit 200,000 families in two phases, including the earlier phase implemented on republic day this year.
He hoped that allotment of land to landless families belonging to weaker sections would help them come out of poverty. He also launched an economic package to develop the distributed land.
Responding to the plea made by Chief Minister Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy, he assured that the union government would extend all possible assistance for massive irrigation development program in the state. He complimented Dr. Reddy for taking up the program for completion of 31 projects by 2009 at a colossal outlay of Rs. 460 billion to bring 6.5 million acres of land under irrigation. The union government would work hand-in-hand with the state to achieve the goal.
Earlier, the chief minister sought a special package for the state for expeditious completion of the pending irrigation projects. Dr. Reddy wanted Rs. 250 billion from the union government for executing five mega irrigation projects on River Godavari to benefit the backward Telangana region. He informed the prime minister that every year over 3,000 tmc feet of water from Godavari flowed into the sea as the previous governments had neglected the irrigation sector.
Dr. Reddy requested prime minister to release 500,000 tons of rice under Swarna Jayanti Rozgar Yojana to provide gainful employment to the poor in 10 districts.
Manmohan also vowed to hunt down Maoist rebels suspected of killing nine officials in Andhra Pradesh a week ago.
“Faced with terror tactics, the government will have no other option than to fight such groups and their ideology of hatred.
“Extremism of any form, based on any divisive ideology cannot be tolerated in any civilized democratic society,” he said.
The Maoists have been waging a low-level insurgency for the rights of landless farmers and indigenous tribesmen.
The unrest has claimed more than 10,000 lives over the past three decades including at least 150 people since the beginning of this year.
On Monday Maoist guerrillas ambushed state officials returning from an event celebrating India’s Independence Day southwest of Hyderabad, the capital of Andhra Pradesh.
Nine people, including state lawmaker Narsi Reddy, who belongs to Singh’s Congress party, were shot dead.
Manmohan told the rebels to prove their popularity by contesting polls.
“In a democracy, the power of people flows through the ballot box and not from the barrel of a gun,” he said.
“Go and ask the people to vote for you. Come to the legislature and enact the law that you wish to see in place,” he said.
