Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, who has been critical of the Central Government on the Special Category Status and other issues in recent past, upped the ante saying that the Centre should extend a helping hand to the State notwithstanding the recommendations of the NITI Aayog.
He also made a politically far-reaching statement that the Prime Minister “may not have been briefed properly on the provisions of the A.P. Reorganisation Act.”
Addressing a press conference here on Monday, Mr. Naidu said, “I am not aware of the recommendations of the NITI Aayog, which submitted its report recently. But the Centre cannot leave Andhra Pradesh to fend for itself. The Centre cannot shrug off its responsibility saying that Andhra Pradesh has resources to develop.”
The Chief Minister’s demand assumes significance as it is expected that the NITI Aayog would come up with a ‘compensatory assistance package’ for Andhra Pradesh for not having a capital city, revenue resource base, and existence of huge fiscal deficit.
Incidentally, Mr. Naidu pointed out that the Centre had extended only Rs. 208 crore as deficit finance though it was estimated to be Rs. 16,000 crore.
The Centre had released only Rs. 1,350 crore for the capital city and Rs. 700 crore for the seven backward districts, he said.
Mr. Naidu said, “I am not soft. I am very assertive. I don’t know whether the Prime Minister is briefed properly on the bifurcation Act. I request the Prime Minister to focus in this regard.”
Mr. Naidu said that the State registered a growth of 2.35 per cent after two years of toil. In spite of the efforts the per capita income of Andhra Pradesh was far less compared to the neighbouring States. Their PCI was Rs. 35,000 to Rs. 40,000 more compared to us, he said, adding, “There are many structural deficiencies. To over come it, we need handholding. The achievements of Andhra Pradesh should not be an excuse to avoid assistance. Efficiency should not be a punishment.”
The Prime Minister may not have been briefed properly on the provisions of the A.P. Reorganisation Act
N. Chandrababu Naidu