Kerala CM should learn to work with Centre: Jairam Ramesh

Kochi, Aug 4 (UNI) Expressing surprise over Kerala Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan's threat to hold a 'satyagraha' outside the Prime Minister's residence to press for the State's demands, Union Minister of State for Commerce Jairam Ramesh today said the senior Marxist leader should learn to work with the Union Government.

''It is not becoming of a senior and respected leader like Mr Achuthanandan to talk of sitting on a 'satyagraha' outside the Prime Minister's residence. Instead of finding fault with the Centre, he should learn to work with us,'' he said.

Stating that several Central projects were put on hold due to the Kerala Government's ''indifference'', Mr Ramesh said the State-owned KINFRA had signed an MoU more than two months ago with the Spices Board to set up two 'spice parks' in Idukki district of Kerala.

''I am very, very disappointed that till date, the Kerala Government has not been able to convey to us the exact location of the two proposed spice parks, which it was supposed to do,'' the Minister said.

Mr Ramesh said he had spoken to Kerala Industries Minister Elamaram Kareem and ''hopefully, the State Government would be able to overcome its internal differences and convey the location of the parks.'' Similarly, the State Government had failed to respond to the Centre's replantation scheme for pepper and cardamom, which were to be a part of the National Horticulture Mission, he said.

''Instead of sitting on a 'satyagraha' in Delhi, the Chief Minister should respond to some of our letters. I have not written so many letters to any other Chief Minister and have received no response,'' he added.

Asked about the day-long 'hartal' called by the Congress in Ernakulam district today to protest the police lathicharge on party workers here yesterday, Mr Ramesh said though he felt that there should be a better way to register political protests, in Kerala's context 'bandhs' and 'hartals' were a part of the political reality.

Charging the CPI(M) with starting the 'bandh' and 'gherao' culture in India, he said ''you reap what you sow.'' UNI