Manmohan Singh approves action plan to boost Andhras agriculture output

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday approved a ten-point action plan to boost agriculture in Andhra Pradesh.

Hyderabad, July 31 : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday approved a ten-point action plan to boost agriculture in Andhra Pradesh.

Earlier, Singh reviewed the State's performance in key sectors like agriculture, irrigation, infrastructure and industrial development.

The review meeting was attended by Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram, Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhar Reddy, besides key officials.

Singh also reviewed the situation in the State in the wake of Saturday's police firing on the Left activists, who were demanding free land for the poor in the State's Khammam District that killed eight people.

Chief Minister Reddy and State Home Minister K Jana Reddy briefed Prime Minister Singh on the measures taken by the State government after the Khammam incident.

Meanwhile, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) activists staged protests here over the police firing incident and demanded Prime Minister Singh to condemn the incident.

TDP chief N. Chandrababu Naidu said: "We expected the PM would visit the village. He didn't visit. He didn't even give a statement condemning the incident."

Meanwhile, the Communist Party of India (CPI) activists held another protest demonstration against the Khammam firing in Delhi.

Hundreds of party activists carrying red flags, marched to the camp office of Andhra Pradesh government, shouting slogans against Reddy.

The protestors accused the police of fomenting violence.

"It was unprovoked baton charge," said Amarjeet Kaur, CPI National Secretary.

ANI