The Central government is likely to announce a financial package in the form of special assistance to Andhra Pradesh soon, according to Telugu Desam Party MPs.
Though the quantum of the assistance was yet to be known, the TDP MPs said the Central government had already commenced negotiations in this direction and a decision was likely to be taken soon.
“If not Special Category Status, some support will definitely be announced in the next few days,” a TDP MP told The Hindu .
The development comes in the light of the TDP MPs upping the ante against denial of SCS as promised at the time of bifurcation and disrupting the proceedings of Parliament in the last few days.
They said the Centre was expected to invite TDP president and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu to New Delhi soon to chalk out a roadmap relating to the special assistance.
NITI Aayog report
under study
The Centre is examining the recommendations made by the NITI Aayog in its report on the financial and other problems facing the State following a direction given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Prime Minister gave the direction last year after a high-level meeting of Finance Ministry officials which was also attended by Mr. Naidu.
The MPs cited the response of Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley who asserted on Tuesday that the Centre was firm on fulfilling all the assurances given to the State.
He said the Centre was holding discussions on the assurances given to the State and asserted that it was committed to handhold A.P. Mr. Jaitley said he had already held discussions with the Chief Minister in this regard.
The assurance follows Mr. Jaitley’s meeting with Union Ministers M. Venkaiah Naidu and Y. Satyaranayana (Sujana) Chowdary on Monday where he was briefed about the situation in the State.
Mr. Venkaiah Naidu also called on Mr. Modi and briefed him about the situation in the State after Mr. Jaitley’s reply in the Rajya Sabha on the short discussion on the implementation of the assurances given to the State.
