Vijayawada: Amid opposition attack on the non-fulfillment of the promise of a special status to Andhra Pradesh made during branch of State, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said on Thursday that the Centre has to help the residual state liberally.
Alleging that Congress played politics “opportunistic” before the bifurcation of last year, he said Andhra Pradesh suffered in various counts following its division.
He also said special status alone will not be enough for the development of the state.
“… They say that everything will be done if the state is special. What will come by the special status? Two things will come.
That are? A (s) projects. They will come only if the Government of India sanctions. Who must punish? Government of India has to give its consent.
“Secondly, CSS (centrally sponsored schemes). CSS (allocations) have gone down. If I say that, they (the opposition) would say that he (Naidu) does not want (special status). Even if it (special status) occurs would not be enough (to ensure development), “he told reporters.
The promise of a special status was made for Seemandhra (new Andhra Pradesh) by the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Parliament during a debate on the branch last year.
A special situation would Andhra Pradesh to get financial assistance from the Centre, mainly in the form of grants, which do not have to be returned. This state also receives a number of other benefits.
Rao Inderjit Singh Union Minister had recently said in Parliament that the special status is not would give states more.
Opposition YSR Congress Party, Congress and the left parties have intensified their agitation to realize the promise of a special status.
The issue gave an emotional turn with supposedly a Congress worker ignite at a public meeting organized by the party in Tirupati last week in support of the issue of special status. The man later succumbed to burns.
Mr. Naidu said yesterday he spoke with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union ministers Rajnath Singh, Arun Jaitley and M Venkaiah Naidu, the promise of a special status.
He said yesterday that he would meet Prime Minister after the August 15 to discuss special status and other promises made to AP.
The chief minister has been saying that the Centre has to help the state to a position where it can compete with other states in development is reached. .
