Congress seeks to take credit for Polavaram bill

New Delhi: Congress on Monday sought to take credit for the controversial bill on Polavaram project to be set up in Andhra Pradesh and appreciated the current government for taking it forward as it is, saying it reflects the democratic politics.

Congress member and former Union Minister Jairam Ramesh said the project, which involves submergence of large areas and resettlement of lakhs of people, is not an easy one to implement and would require a "democratic, sensitive and humanistic" approach.

"This is an important commitment made by the erstwhile UPA government which has been continued by the present government. The continuity in policy reflects democratic politics," he said initiating a discussion on the bill in Rajya Sabha.

"I have no hesitation in saying that the amendment bill moved by the present government is word by word same as decided on March 1st. Contours of the draft made by UPA-II have been included in the bill," he said.

The previous government in a cabinet meeting on March 1 had decided on a third option that some mandals and villages of Telangana will be transfered to Seemandhra. However, an Ordinance in this regard could not be issued in view of elections and was left to the successive government, he said.

The third option was decided as Telangana had opposed the first option of transferring seven mandals, while Seemandhra had opposed second option of transferring some villages, he said.

The Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, which paves way for the Polavaram project in Andhra Pradesh by merging some villages and mandals of Telangana with Seemandhra, was passed in the Lok Sabha on July 11. The bill was brought for approval in the Rajya Sabha on Monday.

Ramesh spoke in favour of the bill amid opposition from his party colleagues V Hanumantha Rao and Ananda Bhaskar Rapolu as also TRS member K Keshava Rao.

Taking strong objection to it, he said, "I do not need sermons from my colleagues from Telangana. This decision was taken in difficult circumstances. Please remember, the issue of Hyderabad was a litmus test for Telangana. For Andhra Pradesh, this project is an emotional issue."