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Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu is slated to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Tuesday to make a case of granting Special Category Status to the residual State of AP, while outlining key areas where the Centre’s support is required.
The meeting assumes significance in the backdrop of the Centre recently granting a massive ₹1.25 lakh-crore special development package to Bihar and the delay in granting special status and commitments made to AP during the bifurcation of the State by the UPA Government.
The delay in granting the special status has assumed political overtones with the Opposition parties faulting the ruling Telugu Desam Party for not being able to have this announced even though it is part of the Narendra Modi-led NDA Government.
The State government feels aggrieved by the delay in granting a special status as a number of industries, particularly in the manufacturing sector, are looking at a package as it comes with additional incentives.
Injustice claimed Highlighting the State’s concerns with the centre and the Finance Commission over the past year, and how it has been unjustly divided against the wishes of the people, Naidu has been reiterating that the State has been done gross injustice. The only way out of the current situation is granting a special status backed by finances to rebuild the residual State.
The State is short of funds and has huge tasks cut out. These include construction of a new capital city of Amaravathi and related infrastructure, the execution of the long-pending Polavaram multi-purpose project, granted national project status, and development of several institutions and infrastructure projects that the State has lost due to bifurcation.
The inordinate delay in granting the special category status has also assumed political overtones with main opposition YSR Congress Party recently staging a dharna in New Delhi and other parties too calling upon the TDP to give up their Cabinet berths and quit as the NDA ally.
Stone-laying ceremony During the meeting with PM, Naidu is also likely to invite him to the foundation stone laying ceremony for the new capital city on October 22. The State is also seeking to request the Centre to extend separate invitations to the Japanese Premier and Singapore Prime Minister for the event.
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