No hint of special status to Andhra Pradesh

NITI Aayog submits report to centre

New Delhi: Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Y S Chowdhary on Wednesday disclosed that the NITI Aayog had submitted its report to the PMO on the special assistance to be given to Andhra Pradesh.

However, he was not sure of the contents and admitted as much speaking to Telugu media in the afternoon. When asked whether the Aayog has prepared the report as per the directive given by the Prime Minister's Office, he said, "I have come to know that such a report was submitted to the Principal Secretary of the Prime Minister. I do not know the contents. Whether it is in favour of the AP Government's demands or not, I am not sure. Whatever it might be, we have to wait."

This admission by the Minister on this count was more or less an answer to a hypothetical question of a media channel. What it disclosed beyond was nothing more that what it did not disclose.

NITI Aayog sources told The Hans India that "AP would get its due as per the law". Nothing more! NITI Aayog vice-chairman Arvind Panagariya is expected to visit Vijayawada soon to discuss the issue of assistance to Andhra Pradesh Government. His visit is around this year end and he is expected to not only assess the programmes and the cost factors of the same but also the overall requirement of AP (assistance) from the Centre.

The AP Government had struck a conciliatory note on its demand of Special Status and is willing to compromise over economic benefits, it may be recalled. After several visits of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu to the Capital and his meetings with the Prime Minster, the PMO directed Arvind Panagariya to look into the package or "whatever it is".

The grudging statement of the Minister in this regard only goes to show that it has left the matter to the mercy of the Centre and is awaiting its munificence.

Whether the Aayog would suggest a Bihar-like package with the past and the present allocations clubbed or would go out of the way to allocate more funds is to be seen. But, the indications that the TDP Government may be in for a disappointment in this regard are quite strong.