The claims that more funds are being given under ‘special package’ are nothing but the ‘State’s share’ in direct taxes and ‘revenue deficit’ as a result of bifurcation, which would in any way come to A.P., claimed YSRC general secretary and Rajya Sahba member V. Vijay Sai Reddy.
Countering the claims of Union Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu and Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, he said the YSR Congress was ready for a public debate on the Special Category Status (SCS) to ‘expose the misleading statements of the Centre’.
Mr. Reddy told reporters here that the September 7 statement of Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had ruled out SCS but was ‘silent’ on the ‘special package’ as was being made out by the two leaders.
The two leaders were now saying that package was better than SCS.
He wondered if that was so why Mr. Venkaiah Naidu demanded increase in the special status period to A.P. from 5 to 10 years.
The YSRC had been demanding SCS since bifurcation and would continue to do so till it was achieved.
He recalled that all political parties had agreed to it when the matter was raised in Parliament at the time of bifurcation.
He refused to buy the theories that the 14th Finance Commission had ruled out giving SCS to A.P. and that other States were objecting to it.
On the Polavaram issue, the YSRC general secretary said the A.P. Reorganisation Act had clearly stated that the Centre had to bear the entire cost of the project. Now, Mr. Venkaiah Naidu was saying as though the Centre had increased its share from 90 per cent to 100 per cent.
He also found fault with Mr. Chandrababu Naidu seeking Central approval for implementing the Polavaram project. “Mr. Chandrababu Naidu had done this to benefit the contractors and siphon off funds,” he alleged.