Hyderabad: Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday told the Legislative Council that he was ready to be “enlightened” if anyone explained the benefits a state would get with special category status. He was responding to the statements of a few leaders including former Union minister Jairam Ramesh who said the denial of special status would cost the state Rs 60,000 crore annually.
“How can a state lose Rs 60,000 crore annually just because it denied special status? From where these funds will come? How can anyone account for the loss of that magnitude,” he said.
Continuing in a similar vein, Mr Naidu said: “I fail to understand the benefits under the special status. Himachal Pradesh and the northeastern states have special status, what great benefits did they get? I am ready to get myself enlightened on this. If anyone speaks about this I am ready to listen.”
He was also referring to actor and Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan calling the special package “rotten laddus.” Mr Naidu said he could understand the agony and anger of Pawan Kalyan, “but calling the package as rotten laddus is not a good comparison. The Centre’s decision on completing the Polavaram dam with 100 per cent funds is a big boon for AP. Polavaram will be the lifeline for Andhra Pradesh and it cannot be called a rotten laddu,” he said.
He said Centre had ruled out giving special status to any state but had promised a package that was equivalent to special status to AP. “What should I do? If I reject the package AP which is already debt-ridden and facing a deficit, will suffer. What is wrong if we accept the package and fight again for other things? This is what I am doing,” he said.
