Three years in power, Agra BJP MPs have nothing to show for development

On 13 November 2013, just before the parliamentary elections, Narendra Modi made several tall promises to the people of Agra, in his capacity as the BJP's prime ministerial candidate. He promised the city an International Airport, Barrage on Yamuna, International Stadium, and Tourism Development, among others things.

Now, the Modi government completes three years tomorrow, and not even one of those promises have been fulfilled. In fact, they haven't even moved an inch in these three years.

Modi even gave Agra MP Ram Shankar Katheria a place in his cabinet as the MoS for HRD, but Katheria failed to deliver results and was soon shown the door, dashing Agra's hopes, yet again, for some comprehensive development. BSP leader and former UP Minister Narain Singh Suman told India Today, that Katheria does lists several development projects worth crores in his list of work done in the past three years, but none of them are directly linked to Agra's core problems. In fact, Katheria is doing nothing except inaugurating projects launched when the Congress was in power and Akhilesh Yadav held the government in UP.

Katheria stakes claim on flyovers currently being constructed in Agra, however, these flyovers were also sanctioned by the UPA government. Similarly, the Agra MP claims he got the remaining 65 crores for the construction of a civil air terminal released, but the money is yet to arrive. He claims that he has been working hard since 2009 for the sanctioning of Agra barrage, but instead of a barrage, Katheria could only get a rubber checkdam sanctioned behind the Taj Mahal, which will do nothing to alleviate the water woes of the people of Agra.

Several projects connected to the tourism ministry, like electronic ticketing in monuments, were already on cards, but Katheria stakes his claim those as well. Other projects like Taj Mahal's night view, light and sound show at Fatehpur Sikri and Agra Fort, and the conservation of Mehtab Bagh were already being studied by the tourism ministry, but the MP chooses to claim that all these changes happened due to his efforts.

According to Suman, some of the other projects that Katheria lays claims on, include the Agra Jaipur Shatabdi train, Agra-Etah train, Railway Training Center, Agra-Etawah 6 Laning of Highway, and Agra-Delhi 6 laning, etc. But the Agra MP does not answer why, despite being the HRD minister, he failed to address the problems facing Dr BR Ambedkar University (DBRAU) in Agra, which is one of the oldest universities in India.

Being a long term employee of the University, Katheria was well aware of the issues facing the university, but he did nothing to solve these issues and consequently, the SN Medical College, which is a prestigious medical college of the state, is contemplating on switching its affiliation from DBRAU to King George Medical University, says Suman.

He says that he himself made efforts to get Agra-Jaipur Shatabdi started, but when it began plying between the two cities, Katheria reached the station to show the green flag. Suman says in the parliament, Katheria's presence has been less than Ch. Babulal, who is the MP from rural Agra. In the past three years, Katheria raised only 15 questions and attended 10 different debates. He has been a complete failure in the past three years.

Bhartiya Muslim Vikas Parishad Chairman Sami Aghai alsoi says that when Katheria became minister, the hopes of the people of Agra were raised and they began expecting large scale development of Agra, but nothing happened. Katheria could find no solution to the drinking water problem of Agra and neither could he win the tug-of-war between Agra and Jewar for the international airport, as the more powerful union minister Mahesh Sharma refused to give ground.

He says people are very aware of Katheria's failures, and that he should start thinking about what he will do after he gets defeated in the 2019 parliamentary polls