The patience of Andhra Pradesh is wearing thin with procrastination of the Centre in fulfilling the assurances given in the AP State Reorganisation Act, 2014.
Even after two years, State representatives, beginning with the Chief Minister and senior officials, have been forced to make the rounds to New Delhi for the release of promised revenue deficit compensation of Rs.16,200 crore, reimbursement for expenditure incurred on national project Polavaram, capital city grant, and special development fund for backward districts of north Andhra and Rayalaseema in vain.
Biggest disappointment
For a beleaguered State without a capital and infrastructure to kick-start its industrial economy, the biggest disappointment came last year when the BJP-led NDA Government changed its tune on granting special category status to Andhra Pradesh.
Union Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu, who, prior to the general elections, championed the case of Andhra Pradesh by emphasising that the State should get special category status not for five years but 10 years to help it recoup after the bifurcation, could not do much.
The State government, which hoped for substantial release of revenue deficit dues of Rs.13,787 crore till the fag end of 2015-16, became red faced when all it got was Rs.500 crore under that head and Rs.290 crore for Polavaram, and another Rs.200 crore for the capital city.
The remaining releases in the last week of March pertained to the final tranche of central tax devolution of Rs.1,369 crore, CST component of Rs.643 crore, disaster relief fund of Rs.360 crore, etc. Though, from March 28 to 31, the Centre released Rs.3,972 crore, only Rs.900 crore came as part of assurances given in the Act.
Highly placed officials said that though there was a feeling in the political circles that the State was being discriminated against, they were hopeful that the funds promised under the Act should flow now.
“We have submitted all the utilisation certificates, be it for the capital city preparatory work, capital region infrastructure, Polavaram project, and backward areas development fund. We can demand what’s due rightfully,” they said.
The fact that the queries raised by either Niti Ayog or GoI on revenue deficit compensation after it was certified by the Accountant-General and the budget expenditure was approved by the legislature for the year 2014-15, did not go down well with the State.
The role and responsibilities of the Legislature, the Executive, and the Judiciary were clearly demarcated by the Constitution. The Executive cannot question legislature decisions, they pointed out.
Similarly, the AP State Reorganisation Act, 2014, was passed by Parliament and it was binding on the Centre to implement it, or one would have to seek intervention of the judiciary as happened in the Schedule IX and X institutions.
“The question is how long the State government can wait before breaking its harmony with the Centre for its lackadaisical attitude in addressing the bifurcation issues, monetary and non-monetary,” a government source said.
After bifurcation, the first two years had gone in preparatory work and 2016-17 is the year when plans will have to take off and executed for the capital city, Polavaram, development of seven backward districts, and show some concrete results on the ground by 2018-19.
Any further delay will jeopardise the image as well as future of the Telugu Desam-BJP alliance, and turn people restive with rising unemployment.
Protest letter
No wonder, the Cabinet apparently resolved to write a strong protest letter about the inordinate delay in release of revenue deficit compensation dues of Rs.13,000 crore and other promised funds.
