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Much ado about nothing
When the entire Andhra Pradesh was waiting with high hopes, the Centre has let it down once again with a late night announcement of a special package in lieu of special category status.
New Delhi: When the entire Andhra Pradesh was waiting with high hopes, the Centre has let it down once again with a late night announcement of a special package in lieu of special category status.
Making the announcement on Wednesday night, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said that the special package would give “exactly equivalent advantage through external aided projects for a period of five years from 2015”.
Jaitley said that this would help the Centre in honouring the assurance given by the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the floor of Rajya Sabha while passing the AP State Reorganisation Act. Andhra Pradesh, he said, had lost in terms of revenue and industrialisation and needs hand-holding.
On issues like railway zone, Chennai- Vizag Corridor and Kadapa steel plant, Jaitley said that the task force would soon be submitting a feasibility report and a decision would be taken up on the projects.
Jaitley said there are six issues that were assured during the bifurcation of the state and of them five were incorporated in the Act itself and hence there was no problem but the assurance of special category status which was not included in the act had caused some problems.
The details of the special package, he said, would be uploaded on the website on Friday morning. Jaitley also announced that notifications regarding two tax concessions would be notified immediately.
With regard to Polavaram project, he said, the Centre would give funds from NABARD and the Centre would repay later. It will also authorise the state to take up construction of the project.
Replying to a question, Jaitley said that the Centre has paid up to date the revenue deficit the state had suffered for the first two years. Similarly, it had also given its share of 42 per cent from the central funds.
The announcement came after several rounds of consultations with Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu. After prolonged discussions, the Centre sent a final draft to Naidu.
Naidu is learnt to have told Jaitley that the Centre should remove the words like “Shall be, Will be and will examaine”. Naidu is said to have told the Centre that the package was more of a consolidated list of what has been promised in the AP State Reorganisation Act.
The Centre should clarify what more it would give to the state in addition to what has been mentioned in the Act. He also wanted the Centre to clarify on issues like railway zone at Visakhapatnam.
Naidu told the Centre that the TDP and BJP during their joint election campaign had promised special category status and hence it would be suicidal if they go back on the issue.
It has already become a sentimental issue and would give a weapon to the opposition to lash at the ruling party and the BJP as well. It would also be embarrassing for him since the monsoon session of the state Assembly is slated to begin from Friday.
Jana Sena leader Pawan Kalyan is also going to hold a public meeting at Kakinada on Friday on the issue of special category status.
Meanwhile, opposition parties and other organisations had already come on the road and have threatened to intensify the agitation for special category status from Thursday.
