Congress leader Jairam Ramesh.
Credit: PTI Photo
New Delhi: The Congress on Thursday claimed that the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act 2014 was implemented by the Modi government at a "lackadaisical pace" but with Prime Minister Narendra Modi having "lost majority" on his own, a rapid implementation of the legislation can be expected.
Congress general secretary, in-charge communications, Jairam Ramesh's assertion came over a media report which claimed that the Centre has acceded to a major demand of setting up an oil refinery and petrochemical hub in Andhra Pradesh with an investment of over Rs 60,000 crore.
"An oil refinery and petrochemical complex in Andhra Pradesh was originally a commitment made by Dr. Manmohan Singh's Government in the Thirteenth Schedule of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act 2014," Ramesh said.
"In fact, the 'one-third' Pradhan Mantri's government was legally obliged to deliver the project within the last ten years, and IOC/HPCL were obliged to examine the feasibility of the project within six months " he said.
The "one-third Pradhan Mantri's government", after failing to move for 10 years, has only initiated the feasibility study now, Ramesh said.
"This lackadaisical pace of implementation of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act was one of the reasons why Chandrababu Naidu garu famously withdrew from the NDA in 2018," the Congress leader said.
"Perhaps now that the 'one-third' Pradhan Mantri has lost his majority and his ego, we can expect rapid implementation of the Act," Ramesh said.
In the Lok Sabha polls, the BJP with 240 seats fell short of a majority but the NDA secured the mandate with 293 seats. The Congress bagged 99 seats while the I.N.D.I.A. bloc got 234 seats. Following the polls, two Independents who won have also pledged support to the Congress, taking the I.N.D.I.A. bloc tally to 236.