No special status due to ‘political reasons’
Hyderabad: There will be no special category status to Andhra Pradesh. Dashing the hopes of the state government, Union planning minister Indrajit Singh made this clear in a written reply to MPs Maganti Babu and K. Prabhakar Reddy in Parliament.
The Centre on Friday said it will implement the 14th Finance Commission’s recommendations for five years with respect to Andhra Pradesh from April 1, 2015.
In a written reply to AP MPs, Union planning minister Indrajit Singh said that the 14th Finance Commission did not recommend special category status for Andhra Pradesh and thus, the same would not be given to the state.
The Union minister said that the Centre was implementing whatever assurances had been given in the AP Reorganisation Act to both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
The Central government has indicated that special category status to AP would not be possible due to political reasons. It has, however, promised to extend all facilities and incentives to the state government.
Union ministers M. Venkaiah Naidu and Sujana Chowdary had also expressed doubts in the past regarding the Special Category status to AP.
While passing the state bifurcation Bill in Parliament, former prime minister Manmohan Singh had assured the House to give special category status to AP for five years.
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu had demanded the status for 10 years and had said that when the BJP came to power, the party would give special category status for 10 years.
