Nothing short of Special Category Status acceptable

Vijayawada: All political parties should take up a united fight to mount pressure on the Centre to get the Special Category Status (SCS), felt the youth and students of Vijayawada. A good number of students, youth and representatives of cross section of society, besides leaders of political parties shared their views at ‘Dasa Disa’ conducted by HMTV on the Special Category Status in Vijayawada on Saturday. HMTV Chief Editor, Debates and Discussions, P Venkata Krishna conducted the proceedings of the debate.

The students wanted the leaders, who were now speaking about SCS a joint promise of the Congress and BJP, to explain why the Centre was delaying granting it. Speaking on the occasion, Pratyeka Hoda Sadhana Samithi convener Chalasani Srinivas said that the SCS, special package and other assurances were part of the bifurcation promises. “The Central government is ducking the issue in the name of 14 Finance Commission Recommendations,” he alleged.

Industrialist Y Harichandra Prasad welcomed the offer of the Central government in the form of special package and incentives. Quoting from the AP Reorganisation Act, Prasad said that the incentives were equally promised for both the Telugu States. He said that the industrialists from the State were capable of developing the State if the Central government extended financial support and offered incentives.

TDP MLA Bonda Umamaheswara Rao said that the state government wanted both the SCS and special package and there was no compromise. The State government had already passed a resolution in the Assembly and sent it to the Central government seeking SCS, he recalled.

The SCS, package, incentives, filling revenue gap and fiscal support for capital construction were included in the BJP manifesto as well. He blamed the Congress for the unscientific bifurcation and maintained that both the TDP and the BJP were trying to correct the flaws committed by the UPA at the time of bifurcation.

CPI state secretary K Rama Krishna demanded that the Central government implement SCS and Bundelkhand-type of assistance to the state. Stating that all parties, except the CPI-M, have supported bifurcation, Rama Krishna felt that all parties have equal responsibility to fight for the special category status and other benefits due for the State. He said that there was no point in each party blaming the other. Instead all should take up a united fight for their right.

Former MLA and city Congress president Malladi Vishnu said that Central government should implement the Bifurcation Act. He said that people of the State were not ready to accept anything less than SCS. Political analyst Telakapalli Ravi said that BJP and TDP were responsible for the delay of SPC. He discounted the claims of the BJP leaders that the 14th Finance Commission had recommended against giving SCS.

He felt that the Union government had intentionally replaced the Planning Commission with NITI Aayog and added that the SCS was recommended much before the replacement. Autonagar Technicians’ Association president S Venkata Ramana said that SCS was peoples’ right.

Engineering student Sai Rama Krishana wanted the central government to clarify what it was planning to give to the state. Management consultant Prof. M C Das said that SCS was necessary for the development of the State. The Central government should implement assurances made in Parliament and give SCS, he demanded.