AP to keep pressure on Centre

AP to keep pressure on Centre
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Highlights

The Andhra Pradesh government would continue to pursue the Special Status issue with the Central government, said the Minister for Finance Yanamala Ramakrishnudu. Speaking to media persons after the day-long Cabinet meeting here on Friday, Ramakrishnudu said that the special status was promised to the State at the time of bifurcation as the State was left with revenue deficit and without capital after division.

  • Centre has not denied special status to AP
  • It assured us of more funds and we will ask for more
  • Will complete ‘Polavaram’ as a national project and will get support from Centre for construction of capital- Finance Minster
Vijayawada: The Andhra Pradesh government would continue to pursue the Special Status issue with the Central government, said the Minister for Finance Yanamala Ramakrishnudu. Speaking to media persons after the day-long Cabinet meeting here on Friday, Ramakrishnudu said that the special status was promised to the State at the time of bifurcation as the State was left with revenue deficit and without capital after division.

He referred to the Central government’s statement in Parliament about inability to give special status and said that the written statement submitted to Parliament had no reference to Andhra Pradesh. “The statement does not speak about denying special status to Andhra Pradesh. It was a general statement based on the recommendations of the 14th Finance Commission,” the Minister said. He further said that the government would continue to pursue the matter with the Central government.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu holding the Cabinet meeting at his camp office in Vijayawada on Friday
The Minister further said that they have been pursuing with Central government for funds under different categories. He said that the Central government had given about Rs 8, 000 crore during the past one year and maintained that the State would continue to get funds in the routine process. “We expect more funds in the days to come,” Ramakrishnudu asserted.

When asked about Polavaram project, the Minister said that the Central government had released over Rs 300 crore and maintained that the government would honour its commitment of completing Polavaram as national project. “We have also asked the Centre to reimburse Rs 500 crore that we have spent so far on Polavaram. We have no positive response so far, but we will continue to ask for more,” he said.

The Minister further said that the State government was focusing on getting special funds and industrial incentives from the Central government and asserted that the Central government would stand by the State in construction of the capital.
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