Jaipal Reddy sulks, skips Metro Rail launch
HYDERABAD: Even as the 'letter row', where Union minister V Kishore Chandra Deo purportedly wrote a missive against chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy and PCC chief Botcha Satayanarayana, continues to haunt the state Congress, another trouble is brewing.
The simmering differences between Kiran Reddy and Union minister for science and technology S Jaipal Reddy took a new turn Sunday, when the latter chose to stay away from the launch of the second phase of Hyderabad Metro Rail Project at Uppal here. This, despite the fact that he was present in Hyderabad on the day.
According to some close aides of Jaipal Reddy, the reason for his absence was that Kiran Reddy did not extend a whole-hearted invitation to him.
A senior Congress leader close to Jaipal Reddy said: 'The Union minister was not formally invited to the programme by the chief minister.
Only his name was printed on the invitation card and an invitation was sent through a lower-rung staff in the state government. The chief minister neither called Jaipal Reddy nor did he bother to write an invitation letter.'
According to sources, Jaipal Reddy was openly miffed at the chief minister's attitude. He gave vent to his ire in front of some confidants, saying that as the then minister for urban development, he had played a key role in approving the Metro Rail Project but Kiran Reddy had disregarded him.
'The Centre had advised that all metro projects in future would be taken up only as central projects. However, I prevailed upon the Centre to resolve the issue,' Jaipal told his aides.
Meanwhile, the chief minister said he had not disregarded Jaipal Reddy. 'In fact today morning, I come directly from Tirupati and attended the launch.
I was not aware of the issue that an invitation was not given to Jaipal Reddy. It is the duty of the officials of the concerned department to send invitations to ministers,' he said.
News Posted: 26 November, 2012
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