TDP wants Andhra Govt to review SEZ policy

The two-day conference of the Telugu Desam Party,Mahanadu,held to discuss the poll outcome and chalk out the partys roadmap....

The two-day conference of the Telugu Desam Party,Mahanadu,held to discuss the poll outcome and chalk out the partys roadmap for next five years,concluded on Thursday.

The party passed a resolution,asking the state to reassess its SEZ policy and to safeguard the interests of farmers,fishermen and other communities that are being uprooted due to land acquisition.

Chairing the conference,TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu said that over one lakh acres of land were taken over by the Government for SEZs,displacing farmers,coastal fishing communities and villagers. Andhra has been sanctioned 90 SEZs for which the Government has acquired so much land. But the SEZs have failed to generate any employment for the locals. The Government policy on SEZs needs to be reviewed, the TDP resolution stated.

On the partys poor poll performance,Naidu blamed the Praja Rajyam Party for splitting votes,but also admitted that the Telangana sentiment was not tapped adequately despite the TDP and TRS coming together under the Grand Alliance umbrella.

Naidu,however,clarified that the party will not reconsider its stand on Telangana. We took a decision to support the cause of a separate Telangana state and we will stand by it. There is no need to rethink that stand, he said.