Venkaiah pooh poohs CM’s Amaravati plan

​New Delhi: Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu on Thursday disagreed with Chandrababu Naidu's concept of the capital city and its dimensions.

Speaking to the Telugu media, Venkaiah Naidu said AP does not require a Singapore or Hyderabad-like city. “Where is the point in having a centralised location? Why should all development be centered in the capital region.

I am opposing it right from the beginning. Chandrababu Naidu, as a Chief Minister, might have his own plan, but I am not for such a capital,” he said.

“We need a Raj Bhavan, a Secretariat and an Assembly. The Centre will fund these and it is already doing so. The capital further needs a ring road around it. There is demand for a Metro rail between Amaravati and Guntur.

It is not viable profit-wise. I have already made a move to include Amaravati in the Smart City list. Centralised development will not help people. The fruits of development must reach all,” he said.

Venkaiah Naidu, reaffirmed the BJP argument back home in AP, that Chandrababu Naidu should stop blaming the Centre over everything as the Centre was doing more than its best to help the State.

Taking a dig at the State Government on the issue of funds too, Venkaiah Naidu said, "We are willing and ready to give funds. But, it is more important to understand in the system that there is this requirement of Utilisation Certificate.

Unless the State Government submits the UC to justify its expenditure of the Central funds, there is no way we could extend the help beyond. If the UC is not there, then it means that you could not spend the funds.

If you do not have the capacity to spend the funds, then how could the Centre come forward with more," he bluntly asked. Criticising the Congress for initiating a Private Member's Bill in Rajya Sabha seeking an amendment to the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014 to accord the special status to AP, the Union Minister said, "what was the Congress leadership doing at the time of bifurcation?

Is there any point to it now? There is the 14th Finance Commission and its recommendations are in place. It knows how much to give each State, including AP. It is getting whatever is due to it and more. So to argue that the Centre is not doing enough does not hold water."

He further said, "We understand the problems of the State and we are here to help the State in every way. But to insist on the special status is needless.

What is more important is the special treatment we are giving the State in obliging it with funds every now and then. A decision has to be taken on the special status. Those asking us or the TDP to break the alliance are just seeking a political turmoil.

What else is their goal? Together we have to work for the development of the State and we are doing it. That should suffice," Venkaiah Naidu said.

The Union government has categorically asserted that though the demand for special status to Andhra Pradesh was justifiable and is under consideration, the State should be happy with the special treatment being given to it rather than harp on the status every now and then, he added.

Political observers say that the latest dart comes from none other than the 'benefactor of the State', Union Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu,

who had vehemently argued for10 years of such status on the floor of Parliament during bifurcation in 2014, could be shocking to the beleaguered TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu and could spur further attacks on the TDP from the State leadership of the BJP.