New Delhi: Accusing the Centre of meting out
step-motherly treatment to BJP-ruled Himachal Pradesh, Chief
Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal has said Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh was sympathetic to the demands but lacked influence over
his ministers, who did not listen to him.
"The PM is very sympathetic when he listens to us. Then
he says I will speak to the minister concerned...Then nothing
happens...the ministers, perhaps, do not listen to him,"
Dhumal said here.
"They (Union ministers) don't listen to us. They don't
listen to the Prime Minister either. Every time he promises he
will speak to the Finance Minister...but nothing happens," he
said.
Dhumal, who was in the city to attend yesterday's
National Development Council meeting, said there were many
instances when crucial projects in the state had been denied
central clearance for some reason or the other.
The Himachal CM said the Centre is dilly dallying the
proposed Himachal-Leh railway line project.
"In every Budget, they mention this railway line among
the 114 socially desirable projects... Still nothing happens,"
he said, adding that a private party had offered to execute
the project but the Centre was not keen.
Dhumal said the state had proposed some spots near
Kandaghat, Shimla and between Hamirpur and Kangra for setting
up an international airport but the "Centre turned down the
proposal".
The BJP leader said he had written to the Centre for
launching a mid-Himalayan watershed management project but got
no response. "However, a similar request from Assam (Congress-
ruled) has been approved," he said.
PTI
First Published: Sunday, October 23, 2011, 14:55