The Hindu 03.11.2010
LDF sitting on Twin City proposal, says Tharoor
Special Correspondent
Says political
will required
‘Chandrika’s statement misleading’
Thiruvananthapuram: Shashi Tharoor, MP, has accused the Left
Democratic Front (LDF) leadership of trying to cover up its failure to
implement the proposed Twin City pact between Thiruvananthapuram and the
Spanish city of Barcelona.
He was reacting to a statement by Muttada ward councillor K.
Chandrika, who is the LDF candidate for the post of Mayor, that the Twin
City proposal had failed to materialise because the MP did not take
follow-up action.
“The statement is misleading and disappointing. There are no hurdles
to the implementation of the proposal. All it requires is political
will,” he said in a press note here on Tuesday.
Dr. Tharoor said he had discussed the proposal with the then Mayor,
C. Jayan Babu, before taking it up with the Barcelona city council.
“Members of the Barcelona council visited Thiruvananthapuram and held
discussions with Corporation functionaries. They submitted a draft
agreement to the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation for approval or
amendment. But, despite several reminders, the Corporation did not take
action,” he said.
The then Mayor had never pointed out the Corporation’s inability to
implement the proposal during the discussions. “It is only when the
issue figured during the election campaign that he came up with the
argument that the proposed pact was impractical,” the MP said.
He said the draft pact had provisions for sub-contracts involving
different agencies in the two cities. “It is because of the difference
in the powers wielded by the Barcelona city council and the
Thiruvananthapuram Corporation that the proposal included a framework
agreement, to be followed up with sub-pacts. The system was designed to
utilise the experience of Barcelona for the development of
Thiruvananthapuram,” he said.
Dr. Tharoor said the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation Council could
suggest amendments to the proposal submitted by the Barcelona city
council. “But the draft was never presented or discussed in the council
here. The LDF is trying to find fault with the Twin City proposal itself
to cover up its lapse. This is unfair to the capital city,” he said.
Observing that the draft pact would expire if a decision was not taken
within 12 months after it was submitted, he urged the newly elected
council to discuss the proposals and come to a conclusion. “With the 41
UDF members in the council supporting the pact, the LDF should be
prepared for a unanimous approval. That will send out a message that the
council is prepared to set aside political differences,” he said.
