The Rural Development Ministry isn’t even waiting for the Cabinet reshuffle to be formally announced. A Parliamentary consultative committee meeting on a development scheme today morphed into a farewell for Minister M Venkaiah Naidu, who is said to be headed back to the BJP. The meeting, convened to discuss the Sampoorna Grameen Swarojgar Yojna, instead issued a resolution asking Naidu to stay on.Thanking Naidu for his good work, the resolution stated that ‘‘You have revitalised the ministry. We urge you not to leave the work unfinished.’’In fact, the occasion ensured that 25 of the committee’s 42 members turned up—an attendance that is unprecedented, said a ministry official. Naidu noticed and commented on the stark improvement in head count. ‘‘The turnout was 95%. It was very unusual,’’ he told The Indian Express. ‘‘I was moved by the support. I told them that I was with them.’’Some MPs at the meeting got particularly emotional: AIADMK MP Dalit Ezhimalai described Naidu as the wheels of a train which, if they went missing, would derail the ministry itself.Others, including AIADMK’s T M Selvaganapathi, BJP’s Chinmayanand Swami and SP’s Balchandra Yadav said Naidu had ‘‘revitalised the ministry’’ and that it was too early for him to leave just yet. Shiv Sena’s Shivaji Mane said he fervently hoped that all the newspaper reports about Naidu’s exit were false.Later, at a national conference on reforms in rural water supply, Naidu got down to business, warning non-performing states that he would throw them out of the water supply scheme if they didn’t show results in three months. ‘‘Either implement the scheme of sectorwise reforms or quit. I give you time until September 30.’’ he told participants from 28 states. The question is, will he be around to see his tough talk through?
