AP-LD BUDGET 4 LAST

(REOPENS WRG63) (REOPENS WRG63) Criticising the Budget, TRS MLA T Harish Rao alleged that it failed to respond to the concerns of Telangana people, the Dalits and other weaker sections. Expressing dissatisfaction over the Budget, YSR Congress claimed that the Government has ignored two core issues mentioned in the 2009 election manifesto. "The nine-hour power supply to farmer and 30 kg rice schemes, which were the main reasons for Congress coming back to power in 2009, were ignored by the Government which has misplaced priorities in this budget," party leader Konatala Ramakrishna said. Lok Satta Party President and MLA Jayaprakash Narayan expressed his dismay over the Government's alleged silence on policies relating to allotment of lands and mines, and liquor auctions in the Budget for 2012-13. He said the Supreme Court, in a petition filed by the Lok Satta and others on the 2G spectrum scam, had directed that all natural resources like land and mines, not merely spectrum, be allocated on competitive bidding. "Andhra Pradesh, which has become the epicentre of corruption in allocation of lands and mines, ought to have indicated compliance with the Supreme Court directive," he maintained. Similarly, the Government did not utter a word on reviewing the present liquor policy which has been ruining poor people's health and finances, besides spawning monumental corruption involving elected people's representatives and bureaucrats, he alleged.