CM's office may come under Lok Ayukta purview

The Congress government in the state is out to impress. On the anvil is a Right to Information Act, bringing the chief minister's office under the purview of the Lok Ayukta and abolition of user charges in government hospitals.

Apart from this, the state government has indicated that it could approach other financial institutions if the World Bank did not see eye-to-eye with it on its populist measures.

Sending signals to the people, bureaucracy and the law and order machinery that he is serious about promises that were part of Congress party's election manifesto, the new chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy (YSR) got down to work on them on a priority basis.

Taking part in a meet-the-press programme organised by the Andhra Pradesh Union of Working Journalists, YSR announced that his government would bring the Right to Information Act at the earliest to ensure transparency in all government decisions.

"All the pillars of democracy, the executive, the judiciary, the legislature and the press have to work efficiently. Then only democracy will flourish," he said, adding that his government would accord utmost respect and protection to journalists in discharging their duties.

He said that his government would not hesitate to bring the chief minister's office under the purview of the Lok Ayukta.

In a combative statement, YSR said that if the World Bank did not approve of the new government's policies and refuse to give fresh loans, his government would approach other financial institutions for future developmental needs.

Objecting to the interpretation of free power to farmers as a mere populist scheme, he said that it was only an effort to see that the farmers in the upland areas get water at an affordable price.

Apart from free power to farmers, which became the first announcement of the new government, Rajasekhara Reddy also took up the issue of creating a congenial atmosphere for a dialogue with the out-lawed Peoples' War Group (PWG) on ending violence in the state on the first day itself.

Following the CM's instructions, police director-general S R Sukumara ordered to cease the combing operations in all the naxal-infested areas.

YSR also expressed his willingness to consider a proposal of lifting the ban on PWG in consultation with the Government of India, sending a signal to both the police and the naxalites that he meant business.