Andhra Pradesh seeks SCS : Assembly passes resolution

Amaravati: The Andhra Pradesh Assembly once again passed a resolution demanding the Centre to accord Special Category Status (SCS) to the state.

The resolution was moved by Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on the last day of the five-day session of the XV Assembly. The motion was passed during the debate on motion of thanks to the Governor's address.

The resolution made it clear that it was interested only in SCS and not special package. Jagan Mohan Reddy explained that it was necessitated to set the record straight and demand special status, which was promised at the time of the creation of Telangana by all the parties in Parliament.

Jagan said that the state of Andhra Pradesh was bifurcated in an unjust and inequitable manner against the wishes of a majority of the people.

The fact that bifurcation would cause serious economic and financial hardships and unjust balance from jobs perspective to AP was completely ignored.

Reeling out the statistics, Jagan said that the state had inherited 59 per cent of population, debts, and liabilities on account of bifurcation of the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh. In terms of revenue it got only 47 per cent of the revenue which was available prior to 2014.

The 14th Finance Commission estimated that post-devolution revenue deficit for Andhra Pradesh for the five-year period 2015-20 would be Rs 22,113 crore and for the same period the newly-formed Telangana State would have a post-devolution revenue surplus of Rs 1,18,6787 crore but in reality revenue deficit of the state in the past five years stood at a whopping Rs 66,363 crore.

The Chief Minister said, "Today, Andhra has essentially remained an agrarian State, with low economic buoyancy, leading to huge revenue disability.

This is evident from the fact that the per capita revenue for 2015-16 financial year of Telangana stood at Rs 14,411, whereas the same for Andhra Pradesh was Rs 8,397." He said the software exports from erstwhile Andhra Pradesh was to the tune of Rs 57,000 crore and Hyderabad city alone accounts for Rs 56,500 crore.

Keeping all such issues in view the then UPA government had assured the people of the residuary state that they would grant SCS for a period of five years and that it would be compensated through direct financial assistance and other interventions. He said the promises made by the then Government and supported by opposition parties remained unfulfilled.

He said while the employment generating potential had dropped drastically and youth were leaving the state looking for greener pastures, the debt had gone up from Rs 97,000 crore in 2014 to a whopping Rs 2,58,928 crore in the last five years.

Further there are huge contingent liabilities in the form of guarantees given for loans availed by the State Government, he added.

"Given this disheartening scenario, I wish to emphasise that grant of Special Category Status is an essential imperative to compensate the State for economic and financial deprivation and help launch it on the path of development trajectory," the resolution said.

The resolution further said that the state needs super speciality hospitals, five-star hotels, manufacturing industries, high -value service industries such as IT, premier institutions of higher education and research to transform the economic architecture of the state, which is only possible with Special Status.

Taking pot shots at the previous government, he said misgovernance and institutionalised corruption for the past five years, left the state with high unemployment, lack of investment in infrastructure and industry, sharp deterioration of public education and health system and empty coffers.

He stressed Special Category Status has become the essential lifeline for the State.