Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu said on Thursday there would have been no fallout between the TDP and the BJP if Andhra Pradesh was given Special Industrial Incentive along with funds in 90:10 ratio like it gave to the northeastern States Tripura aand Nagaland.
The Chief Minister, intervening in a discussion in the Council on the occasion of the World Water Day, said his government had agreed for a Special Assistance Measures (SAM) because the Central government said it had done away with the Special Category Status (SCS). But the Status was given to the two States later.
The SCS and the SAM came up for discussion with BJP MLC PVN Madhav claiming that the “nomenclature” had been changed. Mr. Naidu at that point told him that A.P. should have been given Externally Aided Projects (EAP) and Central-sponsored Schemes (CSS) at the 90 (Central):10 (State) ratio. And it should have been given special industrial incentives by a separate Government Order.
While the two States were given direct grants, AP was asked to create a special purpose vehicle (SPV) and raise funds as per the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act norms which would be cleared by the Centre later. The State was demanding the SCS but the BJP showed discrimination. It was the BJP which at the time of bifurcation said the State deserved SCS for 10 years.
When Mr. Madhav said the national highway rasta roko was “State sponsored”, the Progressive Democratic Front MLCs were up in arms saying the BJP MLC should not talk without knowing the facts. MLC V Balasubramanyam said he had participated in the rasta roko and it was not sponsored by the State. “You should tell those who participated in the agitation that it is State sponsored and see their reaction,” he told the BJP MLC. Another PDF MLC Boddu Nageswara Rao asked Mr. Madhav to fight with his party high command on behalf of the people.
Noisy scenes were witnessed on more that one occasion when the BJP MLC tried to interrupt the Chief Minister with his point of view. Both the TDP and the PDF members stood up and tried to shout him down.
