Andhra CM brushes aside Left demand for land panel

In a rebuff to the Left parties agitating for land distribution, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy has firmly ruled out

In a rebuff to the Left parties agitating for land distribution, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy has firmly ruled out constitution of an independent commission as demanded by them, a decision that could escalate the stand-off with the estranged allies.

Reddy, however, felt that the Congress-Left relations have not reached a breaking point in the state in the face of intensifying land agitation by CPI and CPI(M). “It (constitution of the commission) cannot be done. No commission can be independent of the Assembly. In a democracy, Government is answerable to the people through the Assembly,” he said.

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Disagreeing with the assessment that the Congress-Left ties were breaking he said: “In politics there is no such thing as breaking point. On some issues, we may agree and on others we may not come together. Only at the time of elections, the issue of coming together or otherwise will arise.”

The CM said a high-level committee headed by him was being planned to go into land related issues. The Revenue Minister would be the co-chairman of the panel, which will have senior officials as members. Reddy said there would be no room for “outside experts”. The committee would periodically review the status of land distribution.