The Congress on Tuesday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to commit himself to implement Special Category Status (SCS) granted by then UPA government to Andhra Pradesh.
Ahead of the Prime Minister’s visit to the State in connection with the foundation laying ceremony for Amaravati, Pradesh Congress spokesman Sk. Saida said the Prime Minister should clear the air on the implementation of SCS announced on the floor of Parliament.
“The ruling BJP-TDP combine which rode to power by promising SCS for Andhra Pradesh for 10 years, is trying to wriggle out now by saying that the State should settle for a special development package. The TDP chief had promised SCS for 15 years,” he added.
ADVERTISEMENT
Maintaining that nothing short of SCS would be acceptable to the State, he said the Chandrababu Naidu government had remained silent even though the Centre had meted out a raw deal to the state be it in allocation for the Polavaram project, seven Rayalaseema and Uttarandhra districts and for bridging revenue deficit.
“The Chief Minister spending in an extravagant manner whether it be the construction of capital or the conduct of Godavari Pushkarams or during overseas visits at a time when the situation called for tightening of belt,” he said.
It is unfortunate that Parliamentary Affairs Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu, who posed himself as champion of Andhra at the time of bifurcation, in the Rajya Sabha, now maintain that the State did not qualify for SCS, he added.
ADVERTISEMENT
The Union Minister had not done justice to the state in selection of smart cities as well when compared to neighbouring Tamil Nadu and Karnataka which got smart city tag for more cities and towns, he added.