Jairam Ramesh has major share in the Sin, says Haribabu

Visakhapatnam: Former Union Minister and senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh is making ridiculous and baseless allegations against the BJP-led NDA government regarding the implementation of AP Reorganisation Act (APRA), said BJP Andhra Pradesh President and Visakhapatnam MP K Haribabu.

• The State BJP chief points out that Jairam Ramesh played a key role in drafting the AP Reorganisation Bill
• Says the UPA government in a haste passed an improperly-drafted Reorganisation Bill at the last minute with an eye on 2014 general elections
• He says that though foundation stone was laid in 1981 for Polavaram Project, successive Congress governments in united AP failed to execute the works

In a counter attack on Jairam Ramesh's comments, Haribabu in an official release on Monday, said that, in fact, it should be remembered that the UPA government had rushed through Parliament an improperly-drafted AP Reorganisation Bill at the last minute with an eye on 2014 general elections.  Jai Ram Ramesh had a major share in the “sin” committed by the then UPA Government on the people of Andhra Pradesh, Haribabu alleged.

Jairam Ramesh should answer as to why the UPA government could not complete the construction of the capitals in Jharkhand, Chattisgarh and Uttarakhand when it was in power for 10 long years. It is quite easy to write letters, issue statements and hold round-table meetings. The Congress and its allies are only doing that and nothing else.

While the APRA clearly stipulated a period of 10 years for establishment of various institutions, the BJP-led NDA Government has already sanctioned 85 per cent of them and the institutions were already functioning from temporary, make-shift buildings, Haribabu pointed out.  

How can Jairam Ramesh explain the complete neglect of Polavaram project by successive Congress governments in the erstwhile united AP after the foundation was laid by the then Chief Minister TAnjaiah in 1981, the BJP MP asked. With regard toRailway Zone, the MP asked why could the Congress not decide when it was in power for decades at the Centre? 

It should also be clarified that the 14th Finance Commission did not state that Special Category Status should not be granted to Andhra Pradesh. The commission in its recommendations had stated that the Commission did not make a distinction between special and general category states in determining our norms and recommendations, Haribabu explained.

With the facts, the Congress after committing gross injustice against the people of Andhra Pradesh, is trying to hoodwink them by making baseless allegations against the NDA Government and the BJP, he added.