HYDERABAD: Rajya Sabha member K.V.P. Ramachandra Rao and senior Congress leader has urged President Pranab Mukherjee to call for a status report from the Central government on the implementation of provisions of the AP Reorganisation Act and the promises/assurances given by the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during the debate on bifurcation in the Upper House. The President was urged to secure the report in exercise of powers conferred on him under Article 78 of the Constitution and include the issue during his address to the joint session of Parliament scheduled to commence on January 31. Dr. Rao lamented that the BJP-led government at the Centre was concentrating more on satisfying the needs of the ruling TDP than fulfilling the promises made to the people during the passage of the Reorganisation Act and safeguarding their interests.
10 major promises
In a letter addressed to the President, he recalled that 10 major promises were made to the State, including grant of Special Category Status, completion of the Polavaram project by 2018, special economic packages to the seven backward districts of Rayalaseema and north coastal Andhra, building of a new capital, fulfilling resource gap for 2014-15, separate railway zone for AP, and a major port at Dugarajapatnam. The then Prime Minister, who is also an exemplary economic expert, assured conferment of SCS for giving a firm footing to the economy of residual AP.
However, none of the promises were implemented by the Central government except for releasing part of resource gap and nominal funds for the Polavaram project. Seeing the apathy and indifference of the Central government in fulfilling the promises and the callous attitude of the State government in negotiating with the Centre, people were put to emotional hardship thinking that they were being ill-treated for no fault of theirs.
Inclusion of the status report on implementation of the promises made to Andhra Pradesh in the President’s address would uphold the dignity of Parliament and safeguard the belief of the common people in the parliamentary system, Dr. Rao added.
Uma rebuts charge
Speical Correspondent in Vijayawada writes: Minister for Water Resources D. Umamaheswara Rao denied Mr. Ramachandra Rao’s claim that it was the Congress that gave clearance for Polavaram.
All claims made by the Congress leader in a letter to the President were false, he told the media in New Delhi.
Mr. Umamaheswara Rao said despite tall claims, the Congress Cabinet had rejected a proposal to transfer seven mandals that would be inundated once the Polavaram Project was completed. Reading from the records of Parliament, the Minister said that the Cabinet rejected the proposal for an Ordinance and suggested that the transfer of the seven mandals be introduced in Parliament in the form of a Bill. He said there was no way such a Bill would have been passed by Parliament.
The first thing the BJP and TDP did on being elected to power was passing the ordinance transferring the seven mandals from Telangana to Andhra Pradesh, he claimed
