Political Diary

The Telugu Desam Party has announced its intentions to increase the quantum of money it promised to pay under the cash transfer scheme to poor and middle class families as and when required.TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu said other political parties were worried over the promise which proved yet again that the TDP was the only party that worked for the all round development of women. He was addressing a meeting organised by NTR Memorial Trust to felicitate 16 women who carved a niche for themselves in society in connection with the International Women’s Day on Sunday.

Those felicitated included yesteryear actresses Jamuna and Rama Prabha, singer Jamuna Rani, Telugu University Vice-Chancellor A. Manjulatha, classical dance exponent Ananda Sankar, senior lawyer J. Chamanti, writer Ananta Lakshmi, HCU professor Sharat Jyotsna Rani and TANA former president Mutyala Padmasri.Recalling the efforts made by the previous TDP government for women empowerment, Mr. Naidu said the party was fighting for introduction of 33 per cent reservation for women since more than a decade. But, there was no initiative in this direction forthcoming from the Congress despite its president Sonia Gandhi being a woman.

He launched a trenchant attack on the five-year Congress rule and said the government had diluted schemes like provision of gas cylinders at subsidised prices. But the TDP was committed to providing cylinders at half the price once it comes to power.Jamuna’s pleaEarlier, Ms. Jamuna showered lavish price on Mr. Naidu’s dynamic leadership and wanted women to bring back the TDP to power. Telugu Mahila leader Nannapaneni Rajakumari also spoke.