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Forget Special Status
The Centre here on Friday was categorical in rejecting the Special Status demand of Andhra Pradesh. According to Union Minister of State for Home Haribhai P Chowdhary such a status to it was not on the cards and all that it could expect were funds and a liberal attitude from the Centre for its development.
New Delhi: The Centre here on Friday was categorical in rejecting the Special Status demand of Andhra Pradesh. According to Union Minister of State for Home Haribhai P Chowdhary such a status to it was not on the cards and all that it could expect were funds and a liberal attitude from the Centre for its development.
The Union Minister was replying to the debate on a Private Member's Bill moved by KVP Ramachandra Rao in the Rajya Sabha on Friday. Ramachandra Rao moved the Bill seeking amendment to the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014.
He sought to know why were the BJP leaders who promised 10 years of Special category to the state during the debate on bifurcation in the past were silent now.
As AP was lagging behind in all aspects, it should be accorded the status, he said. The Minister said the Centre was implementing what all was incorporated in the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014 without fail.
“Each and every promise is being implemented". The Act had incorporated everything that the residual state required comprehensively and there were no lacunae in it.
The NITI Aayog had studied and was studying the Act carefully in coming to the rescue of the state. NITI Aayog was deciding on the quantum of economic help based on the recommendations of the Act.
"Hence Special Status for AP or for that matter any other state now was not on cards and not required", he added.
The Centre had allocated Rs 2,050 crore for the new capital construction and for backward districts, Rs 750 crore had been sanctioned for development.
Apart from this educational institutions, projects and other infrastructure initiatives had also been allotted. The pleas of the state were being heard attentively, weighed carefully and assistance and help given accordingly, he said.
Even the 14th Finance Commission stated that Special Status was not necessary for the state taking in to consideration all the above factors, he said.
Special Status would be required when these measures were not implemented or when the promises were honoured, he reiterated. He reeled out the list of institutions sanctioned for AP, special incentives given (included in taxes) and allowances made especially in support of his argument.
Intervening in the same, other RS Members, J D Seelam and CM Ramesh also spoke. While Seelam listed out the injustices to the State in the absence of the status, Ramesh accused the previous Congress dispensation of haphazardly drawing the Bill and rendering injustice to AP.
