Cong corners govt on special status

Cong corners govt on special status
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Highlights

The NDA government was taken to task in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday with members from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, supported by various Opposition parties, accusing it of not fulfilling promises despite the assurances by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

New Delhi: The NDA government was taken to task in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday with members from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, supported by various Opposition parties, accusing it of not fulfilling promises despite the assurances by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Congress members J D Seelam and Subbarami Reddy (from Andhra Pradesh) and V Hanumantha Rao (Congress member from Telangana) trouped into the well prompting Deputy Chairman P J Kurien to remark that it was “indiscipline”. They were supported by several Opposition parties, including SP, BSP, JD-U and CPM.

It was left to the Union Minister of state for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi to defend the government over the implementation of the AP Reorganization Act 2014, which promised tax and financial incentives to residuary Andhra Pradesh. He said the government was trying to address the issue in a phased manner.

J D Seelam, Subbarami Reddy and V Hanumantha Rao

Raising the issue, Subbarami Reddy said both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana were in a "financial crisis” as even after passage of nine months since the NDA government came to power, it has not fulfilled the promises made by the previous government for the development of the regions including financial assistance for them.

He recalled that in his election speeches, Modi used to promise to “do much more”. He also recalled that BJP leaders Arun Jaitley and M Venkaiah Naidu had favoured a 10-year financial package for the state. “Either God or GoI (government of India) should help Andhra Pradesh,” he quipped.

Senor leader from Telangana V Hanumantha Rao asked the government why there were no specific financial allocations to the backward regions of Telangana while Subbarami Reddy informed the House that if the Andhra Pradesh government is not bailed out it may default in paying wages to 5.7 lakh employees and 3 lakh pensioners. They raised the matter in the zero hour.Raising above the states they represent, Rao and Reddy from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, respectively, questioned the government what was hindering them from implementing the Act. Seelam said both the regions are suffering.

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