Union Minister for Urban Development M. Venkaiah Naidu on Saturday said granting Special Category status to Andhra Pradesh would not be possible unless other States accept such move.
“These things had to be sorted out by the previous Congress government before bifurcation of the State. Unfortunately it did not happen. However, the Bharatiya Janata Party is committed to extend all its support for development of the State,” he said while speaking at the Andhra Chamber of Commerce and Industry Federation’s programme here.
Given the financial constraints, the allocations in Central budget for the State may not be as expected. But instructions have been issued to authorities to prepare estimates for construction of Raj Bhavan, Secretariat, Assembly, Ring Roads and other projects and submit the same to respective Union Ministries for considerable allocations in the budget, said Mr. Naidu.
Countering the Opposition’s remarks on the government’s plans to boost economy, Mr. Naidu said the battered economy under the previous regime was now limping back to shape. Many reforms have to be introduced in different fields but a few parties were against such moves.
The government was committed to promote growth and provide employment with a special focus on manufacturing sector as it was ignored by the UPA government, he said.
Make in India initiative aims to increase the share of manufacturing sector from 12 to 25 per cent of GDP by 2022, he said.
The BJP government welcomes foreign investments in automobiles, aviation, biotechnology, chemicals, construction, electrical and electronics, pharma, food processing etc. Private sector cannot be ignored and development projects have to be taken up under public-private-partnership. However, there should be regulation on the private sector, he stressed.
He wanted the Chamber members to focus on improving trade and industry and assured that the Central government would extends all its support for the federation. Earlier speaking at the foundation laying ceremony of ‘Syama Prasad Mukherjee Institute for Social Service’ building at Undavalli near here, Mr. Venkaiah Naidu said historians suppressed facts about nationalists like Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Subhash Chandra Bose and Syama Prasad Mukherjee.
Many patriots and leaders sacrificed their lives in freedom struggle. But, only one family found place in the pages of history, he said. He did not, however, name the Nehru-Gandhi family though. Mr. Venkaiah Naidu said these leaders could have differed with the path suggested by Gandhiji, but the goal was same — Independence and freedom from British rule. Difference of opinion should not be a premise to ignore their services, he said.Ministers P. Manikyala Rao and Kamineni Srinivas, BJP State president and MP K. Haribabu, MP Gokaraju Gangaraju, former Union Ministers Daggubati Purandaeswari and U. V. Krishnam Raju, former minister Kanna Lakshmi Narayana and others were present
