‘Why Andhra Pradesh is being denied Special Category Status when some enjoy it?’

Yet again raising the issue of Special Category Status, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has demanded to know why the Central Government is denying it to Andhra Pradesh.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and KIA Motors Corporation president Han-Woob Park during the framework installation ceremony at Penukonda in Anantapur district on Thursday | Express
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and KIA Motors Corporation president Han-Woob Park during the framework installation ceremony at Penukonda in Anantapur district on Thursday | Express

VIJAYAWADA: Yet again raising the issue of Special Category Status, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has demanded to know why the Central Government is denying it to Andhra Pradesh when it has accorded the same to other States.

Addressing a public meeting in Erramanchi village of Penukonda mandal in Anantapur district on Thursday, he said his government agreed to the special package when the Centre cited 14th Finance Commission’s stand that SCS was no longer being given to any State and that the benefits were no different.“But now, Special Category Status is being continued to other States. Then why Andhra Pradesh is being denied the same?” He said the State was bifurcated irrationally, causing grave losses to Andhra Pradesh.

“Certain provisions were made in Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act and some promises were made in Rajya Sabha to compensate the losses to the State. In the last three and half years I went to Delhi 29 times to remind the ministers there of the promises and to urge them to implement them,” he said.Chandrababu Naidu said there was no compromise when it came to the interests of the State and every promise made to the State should be implemented. “Please, don’t hurt the sentiments of the people of the State and act in a way that will hurt their self-respect,” he said.

Reiterating that since the beginning he asked for the Central government’s hand-holding till Andhra Pradesh was on par with other Southern States, the Chief Minister said the State in the last three and half years made progress on its own. “If they have bridged the  revenue deficit as promises and accorded Special Category Status in time, the State would have made even greater progress,” he said.

Stating that demands of the State were genuine, he said that Andhra Pradesh still lagged behind the other Southern States in per capita income. “It is the responsibility of the Centre to help the State and honour the commitments,” he said. “We are struggling for our rights. We will strive to achieve success and emerge as the best State,” the Chief Minister said and added that he would not spare anyone who did not respect the rights of the State and hurt the sentiments of the people of Andhra Pradesh.

“There is nothing wrong in agitating to achieve our rights but at the same time creating law and order problem will only create more problems for the State. Let our protests be in a systematic manner. In Japan, resentment is shown by workers by overworking. Today, we too need to do the same,” he said.
Chandrababu Naidu blamed the Congress for the current predicament of the State and accused some political leaders of trying to get political mileage from the current crisis.

Rs 20,000 crore for Bundelkhand, nothing for AP: Minister

Vijayawada: Asserting that the State government welcomed the Special Package announced in lieu of the Special Category Status (SCS) only after the Centre assuring to extend all benefits to Andhra Pradesh, Marketing Minister C Adinarayana Reddy found fault with the Centre for failing to deliver the promises made to the State. “While we (AP) are fighting for the implementation of the promises for the last four years, the Centre has ignored the same and announced H20,000 crore package to Bundelkhand within a year after making a promise,’’ he said. The minister said that they came across the news that Prime Minister Narendra Modi desires to visit the State.  “Let us wait and watch what Modi will announce during his visit to the State,” he said, adding that CM will take a decision if there is no response from the Centre.

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