LAM Farm (Guntur district): Senior BJP leader and Union minister for urban development M. Venkaiah Naidu has said the Special Category Status (SCS) issue for AP is under the consideration of Niti Aayog and if this is not possible, something better would be given to the state.
The Union government, he said, is not for one state. It has to take care of 31 states and six Union Territories. Promising the Centre’s full support for building the new capital Amaravati, he said the Union government would sanction funds for the ring road project there, as also for the Kanakadurga flyover in Vijayawada.
Mr Venkaiah Naidu alleged that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was making baseless statements vis-à-vis the SCS and the AP Reorganisation Act, and trying to put the central government in the dock, as he was unable to digest the “increasing popularity' of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The then Congress government had not included SCS in the bill, he stressed.
Referring to the allegation of growing intolerance in the country, Mr Naidu said intolerance was the culture of the Congress, as the party did not allow debate in Parliament, for instance, during the passing of the AP Bifurcation Bill.
Mr Venkaiah Naidu said the Union government was giving top priority to agriculture and development of the residuary AP state. He said he or his family members would not contest future elections but will continue serving the nation, the state and the people.
Venkaiah flays Opposition for criticising Modi on water-soil
BJP senior leader and Union minister for urb-an development M. Ven-kaiah Naidu expressed anguish over the comments of Opposition parties about Prime Mini-ster Narendra Modi presenting only Matti-Ne-ellu (water-soil) for new capital Amaravati.
In his 31-minute spe-ech, the Union minister made a scathing attack on Opposition parties and termed the Opposition Congress and YSR Congr-ess as effigy burning and water-soil parties.
Explaining the sanction of institutions and funds to AP, he ridiculed that these institutions, projects, schemes and funds have no value to Opposi-tion parties as they are treating them as water and soil. He said water and soil are most important for living as soil produces food and water quenches thirst.
He said the main Oppo-sition party in AP is trying to join the BJP-led Union government hence are demanding getting the TD out from the BJP government.
Addressing the public after taking part in the foundation stone laying ceremony for the Achar-ya NG Ranga AP Agricul-ture University here on Monday, Mr Venkaiah Naidu said he was sadde-ned with the criticism of Narendra Modi presenting soil and water so decided to clear the allegations about Union government sanctioned inst-itutions and funds.
Mr Venkaiah Naidu said that Union government had sanctioned fu-nds to IIT, IIM, NIT, SPA, AIIMS, NID and other institutions.
He alleged that the Congress government did not sanction any funds for the Polavaram project which was started in the year 1980 and claimed that only the BJP government has sanctioned funds for Polavaram this year. He strongly commented that idle Opposition cannot digest these as development.
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