The Congress on Tuesday reminded Bharatiya Janata Party national president Amit Shah, who is scheduled to address a party meeting here on May 25, of the “unfulfilled” promises made by him and his party to the people of Andhra Pradesh.
A.P. Congress Committee president N. Raghuveera Reddy, in an open letter to Mr. Shah, alleged that the BJP leader had told several things to the people of A.P. during his earlier visits. “He claimed that the Centre had spent ₹1.4 lakh crore and that it would take one full week to narrate the help extended to A.P., at a public meeting in Rajamahendravaram on March 6, 2016. At another public meeting at Tadepalligudem in West Godavari district on November 26 the same year, Mr. Shah announced that a package that had better benefits than the Special Category Status (SCS) would be given to A.P. ,” the Congress leader said in the letter.
The BJP made several promises in its election manifesto, including SCS for ten years. The manifesto said it would do much more than what the Congress incorporated in the A.P. Reorganisations Act and promised special packages for the backward regions of Rayalaseema and North Andhra. Other promises were quick completion of the Polavaram project, 50 % increase in minimum support price of agricultural produce, full implementation of M.S. Swaminathan Committee recommendations, subsidies for industries and tax exemptions, a world-class capital and reimbursement of budget deficit, and development of agriculture, power and infrastructure sectors, Mr. Reddy claimed in the six-page letter.
The BJP government gave lame excuses like the 14th Finance Commission was not for SCS and later that the NITI Aayog was examining it, and finally that other States were opposing it. The biggest falsehood thrust on the people of A.P. was that the special package was the best possible deal for the State, he said.
Farmers’ federation letter
Farmers’ association leaders, in a separate letter to Mr. Shah, alleged that the Central government was least concerned about the plight of farmers in the State even though drought was declared in 350 mandals. The few farmers, who managed to raise a crop were not getting remunerative prices, said the letter written by the Krishna Delta Parirakhana Samithi, A.P. Rythanga Samakhya, Akila Bharatha Kisan Sabha, A.P. Rythu Sangham (affiliated to CPI(M)), and the A.P. Kisan Congress.
