In a letter to Rosaiah, a copy of which was released to the press here on Monday, Shahaney said the project was cleared for private implementation by the Congress governments at the Centre and the state when Rosaiah was the finance and power minister in the state.

The various policy reversals with every change in the government at the Centre, the long time in persuading the coal company for setting up a coal washery and sharing the risk in caol supplies are some of the reasons for the inordinate delays in the implementation of the 1,040 mw Hinduja National Power Vizag project, the letter has said.

Responding to allegations by the state Congress leadership that the promoters were indulging in delaying tactics, Shahney charged the party was trying to politicise the issue forits own ends. Taking serious objection to criticism by K Rosaiah, Shahaney said creating hurdles to the project, particulary when it was at a take-off stage, would be detrimental to the interests of Andhra Pradesh itself.

The sponsors have in no way benefitted from the delays but have only suffered heavy expenses in retaining the consultants and advisors to the project, the letter added.

"In the above circumstances, I am distressed at your comments which unfortunately do not project the factual situation", Shahney charged. Clarifying his party's stand on Monday, K Rosaiah said the Congress was not opposed to the project itself. "We are only opposed to the non-transparent manner it is being implemented", he said addressing a press conference in response to the letter by the HNPCL chairman.