Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh today urged the federal government to grant special status to the state and also extend the tax incentives to promote industrialisation of the state.
The state assembly adopted unanimously a resolution today, the second day of the monsoon session, with the Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu making it clear that his government will not compromise on the issue and demanded the Central government take measures to fulfil all the provisions of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act 2014 and assurances given by the then Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh on the floor of the Parliament.
But the main opposition YSR Congress party persisted with the demand that the Telugu Desam government should set a deadline of a fortnight or a month for the federal government to announce the special category status. “If they don’t announce it by the deadline, TDP should withdraw its ministers from the Union Cabinet”, said leader of opposition YS Jaganmohan Reddy.
Referring to the spate of suicides on the issue of special status by the people, he held the TDP and the BJP responsible for them.
The ten-page resolution, moved by the chief minister said, “This house unanimously resolves to request government of India to accord special category status to the state of Andhra Pradesh and further resolves to recommend government of India to implement all the provisions contained in the State Reorganisation Act and assurances made by then prime minister of India on floor of the Rajya Sabha on February 20, 2014 which include fiscal measures like tax incentives to promote industrialisation and economic growth, special financial support for the new capital, special development package, release of balance grant to bridge revenue deficit, establishment of all education institutions provided in schedule 13, implementation of section 8, early completion of Polavaram irrigation project and all other commitments made in the AP Reorganisation Act and assurances made in the parliament to enable the state to achieve level-playing field on par with the neighbouring states.”
But Naidu also added that the special category status can not be a solution to all the problems of the revenue deficit state as the status has been diluted over the years.
Chandrababu Naidu also praised the National Democratic Alliance government of which his TDP is a partner saying that it had extended help to the state during last 15 months. This includes Rs23 billion (Dh1.3 billion) as grant to bridge the revenue deficit, and Rs15billion for the development of the new state capital.
Stressing that his government will continue its efforts to secure more help from federal government, Naidu said that the state was to get another Rs120 billion assistance.
Stressing that Andhra Pradesh has to go a long way to achieve a level playing field with other states and it can not be compared to the other state, the Chief Minister said, “the state does not have even a capital. No funds, industries and jobs”, he said. “For the first time in the history 59 per cent of the people were deprived of the state capital and given only 47 per cent revenue resources”, he added.
Among the provisions of the Reorganisation Act, Anantapur was yet to get the Central University and Visakhapatanam a Tribal University, Naidu said. However a Rs50 billion loan was sanctioned for the Visakhapatanam-Chennai industrial corridor.
Pointing out that he had visited Delhi 17 times during last 15 months to urge the federal government for the special category status, Naidu said he urged the prime minister to continue the help for the state till achieves a level playing field with the neighbouring states of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
