Andhra Pradesh’s Congress Chief Minister Y S Rajshekhar Reddy has been the target of Left ire in recent months. The death of six people in a police firing in Khammam last month widened the rift between the Congress and the Left. The Left has since submitted a charter of demands to the Congress on Andhra Pradesh related to distribution of land for the landless, but the Chief Minister, in an interview with Varghese K George, says these are “unreasonable”. Excerpts:

• Both the Congress and Left favour land distribution, but are at loggerheads with each other. Why?

Probably the Left is insecure that we are taking away their agenda. Never before has land distribution been done at the speed we are doing. In the last three years, my Government has distributed 4.5 lakhs acres of land. The Left wants to take credit for what I am doing, by agitating. Earlier they used to demand ration cards for all. Through a special drive we distributed ration cards to 82 per cent of the population and they cannot make an issue out of it now. The same thing is happening on the question of landless people. Last year the Government built 19 lakh houses at a cost of Rs 40,000 each.

• The Left has demanded an ombudsman to check irregularities in the housing project. Will you concede?

We have a strong vigilance system and an ombudsman is not necessary.

• The Left has also demanded an autonomous commission to oversee land distribution. Do you think it is necessary?

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