The Telugu Desam Party is optimistic about convincing the BJP-led Central government for granting the special category status to the State notwithstanding Union Minister for Statistics and Programme Implementation Rao Inderjit Singh’s assertion that there is no question of grant of special category status to any State.
Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Y. Satyanarayana (Sujana) Chowdary said the TDP will continue to impress upon the Centre the need to confer the special status on Andhra Pradesh which was facing constraints on several counts, finances in particular, ever since bifurcation.
Mr. Rao Inderjit Singh’s claim that the Centre had agreed the recommendations of the 14{+t}{+h}Finance Commission in totality was not applicable to Andhra Pradesh as the State was bifurcated after the report was prepared, he said.
“Being an ally of the NDA government, we cannot mount pressure on the Centre. We will continue our efforts to convince the Centre to take Andhra Pradesh as a special case,” he said adding the TDP was hopeful of a positive decision on the issue soon. Mr. Chowdary was critical of the Congress which, he said, was bent upon to disrupt the proceedings of Parliament. This was evident from the fact that the Congress continued disrupting the proceedings in spite of the ruling party expressing its willingness to allow discussion on all the issues raised by the Opposition.
Though the Chair had granted permission for a debate on the special category status to Andhra Pradesh in Lok Sabha on Monday, the issue could not come up as the Congress disrupted the proceedings.
Being an ally of the NDA government, we cannot mount pressure on the Centre
