The Union Minister for Rural Development Jairam Ramesh has written to the Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia to initiate follow-up action with the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the special category status to be extended to the successor State of AP comprising 13 districts.
In two separate letters to the Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission, Mr. Jairam Ramesh recalled the statement made by the Prime Minister while intervening on the debate on Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill 2014 in Rajya Sabha on February 21.
The Prime Minister had said: “First, for purposes of central assistance, special category status will be extended to the successor State of Andhra Pradesh comprising 13 districts, including the four districts of Rayalaseema and the three districts of north coastal Andhra for a period of five years. This will put the State’s finances on a firmer footing.”
PackageFurther, he said: “The Bill already provides for a special development package for the backward regions of the successor State of AP, in particular for the districts of Rayalaseema and north coastal Andhra Pradesh.
This development package will be on the lines of K-B-K Plan (Koraput-Bolangir-Kalahandi) in Odisha and the Bundelkhand special package in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.”
Mr. Jairam Ramesh urged the Planning Commission to initiate follow-up action on the Prime Minister’s assurances. He also reminded about the setting up of a special cell in the Commission under the Deputy Chairman to address the developmental needs of the successor State of AP in their totality and ensure adequate financing for fulfilling them.
In another letter to the Minister of State for Personnel V.Narayanswamy, the Union Minister requested that two advisory committees for the allocation of personnel to the two successor States of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh be constituted immediately.
One committee would deal with the allocation of officers belonging to the All-India Services and other with allotment of state-level service officials.
