Finance Minister T Harish Rao flays BJP over hurdles to projects

Finance Minister T Harish Rao on Thursday criticised the Telangana BJP chief Bandi Sanjay Kumar for writing a letter to the Union Minister Prakash Javadekar urging him not to give environment permissions to the irrigation projects until the Water Resources Ministry gives required permissions.

Attacking the BJP leader during the Assembly sessions, Harish Rao said that it was unfortunate that narrow-minded politics was being pursued by the BJP leaders.

"The BJP chief wrote a letter asking the ministry to bring an Act not for the country but only for Telangana. The government needs to take 16 permissions from Central Water Commission (CWC), but in the meantime we try for environment and forest permissions, but the BJP chief wanted the ministry to stop permissions until the CWC gives the permissions," he said.

The Minister further said that the BJP leaders also gave a letter to the Union Water Resources Minister. "They talk of 'Desh Bhakti.' What happened to their state bhakti?" questioned Rao.

He said that the BJP leaders should support or assist the State government but should not create hurdles. A few persons filed cases in court and Green Tribunal, but these (BJP) leaders have demanded separate Act for Telangana," said Rao.

The BJP leaders should try for a national project status for the State but should not try to stop the projects themselves, he advised them.