CM, Nadda in war of words

Tribune News Service

Shimla, December 6

A war of words has broken out between Virbhadra Singh and Union Health Minister JP Nadda. Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today lashed out at the Centre for delaying AIIMS and other projects for Himachal.

Nadda blamed the Himachal Government for its lackadaisical approach in providing land and implementing Centrally funded projects.

While Virbhadra hit out at the Centre during his public address in Bilaspur, home turf of the Union Health Minister, Nadda put the entire blame on the state government for failing to prepare DPRs and provide land for the projects.

In a statement issued here to rebut claims of Virbhadra, Nadda said the initiatives taken by the Centre to speed up development activities in the hill state were being put to naught due to the lackadaisical approach of the Congress government which had failed to keep pace with the pro-active Modi government.

“The state government is not showing the same zeal either due to political reasons or sheer incompetence. It was not a healthy approach, because in a federal system the Centre and states had to work in unison, rising above party lines to accelerate the pace of development,” he remarked.

He said he was not quoting all this to derive any political mileage but out of concern for the people who deserved better facilities.

He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi was keen to lay the foundation of the IIM at Paonta Sahib during his last visit to the state but it had to be postponed as the state had failed to obtain forest clearances.

Similarly, work on the new national highways approved by the Centre was not making any headway for want of a DPR and the setting up of a trauma centre in the state capital too had been delayed, said Nadda.