Mr Naidu has requested granting special category status to AP
Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu has requested PM Narendra Modi to establish a high power committee to facilitate early and amicable resolution of all outstanding matters relating to AP State Reorganisation Act.
In a memorandum submitted to the Prime Minister on Tuesday, Mr Naidu has requested granting special category status to AP apart from grants for the construction of new capital city Amaravati, creation of infrastructure and backward areas development. He also asked for an increase in the number of legislative assembly seats to 225 from the current 175.
Mr Naidu said that AP would need about Rs 1.20 lakh crore over the next one-and-a-half decades for building Amaravati.
For the development of four districts of Rayalaseema region and three districts of north coastal Andhra, the CM requested for an annual development grant of Rs 300 crore every year for the next five years. To develop industrial townships, estates and parks, he requested grant of Rs sought Rs 1,000 crore for the next 5 years.
Centre assures more funds
Andhra Pradesh CM N. Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday said there would only be two advantages to the special category status; the Centre would give 90 per cent funds as grants in Externally Assisted Projects and 90 per cent funds as grants in Centrally Sponsored Schemes . Mr Naidu pointed out that the Centre had cancelled many CSS schemes.
He said that he had asked the PM how the Centre would help the state in lieu of the special category status and Mr Modi had assured him of funds more than what AP would get with the special status.
However, replying to a question, Mr Naidu said that his first demand is still that the centre grants special category status to AP. He said that he had informed Mr Modi that the Centre would have to financially help AP till it was at par with the neighbouring states of Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
Union finance minister Arun Jaitley said that they had discussed the implantation of the AP State Reorganisation Act and also the special status issue with the PM. He said while the Centre was still thinking about the special category issue, it was also looking at alternative funding to AP. He promised more financial assistance to AP.
