TDP demands Bharata Ratna to NTR

Vijayawada: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu demanded the Centre to confer Bharata Ratna award to Telugu Desam founder the late NT Rama Rao. He proposed a resolution on the second day of Mahanadu on Monday after paying rich tributes to NTR on his birth anniversary.

Chandrababu Naidu asked the Centre why it didn’t honour the late NTR with Bharat Ratna. He said that they would fight for it until it was achieved. They have been passing the resolutions in this regard for the last several years, he said.

The Chief Minister also stressed the need of introducing the NTR's biography in the school curriculum. The future generations should not forget the services of NTR, he asserted. He reiterated that the TDP would fulfil the dreams and aims of NTR and it would be the real tribute to NTR.

The irrigation projects like Telugu Ganga, Hundri Neeva and Galeru Nagari were launched by NTR for providing water to Rayalaseema districts and Chennai city for drinking water and irrigation purpose. Similarly, the TDP founder launched several welfare schemes for the benefit of poorer sections, he said.

The housing for poor and Rs 2-a-kg-rice schemes were introduced during the late NTR’s regime and other States also followed it later taking it as a model, Chandrababu Naidu said. NTR had registered a remarkable role in the national politics and strove for the welfare of the poorer sections, he said.

He recalled that NTR fought against the Centre when he felt injustice was done to the people of the State and to protect the self-respect of Telugu people. In fact, the Telugu Desam was founded to protect the self-respect of Telugus.

The Telugu Desam would follow the footsteps of its beloved leader. He called upon to the party activists and leaders to work like NTR. It is possible to work getting inspiration from him, he said. Naidu said that the government would construct NTR Memorial in Amaravati capital city.