VISAKHAPATNAM: Hours after Finance Minister Arun Jaitley presented the Union Budget for 2018-19 in Parliament on Thursday, protests erupted in the city as the special railway zone promised to the State with Visakhapatnam as its headquarters did not even find a mention in the Finance Bill. The Left parties and main Opposition YSR Congress staged separate protests, condemning the ‘step-motherly’ treatment meted out to Andhra Pradesh by the Centre.
CPM activists staged a novel demonstration by sporting flowers in their ears, alleging that the Centre had reneged on its promises made during the State bifurcation and 2014 elections. “People of AP, particularly those from North Andhra districts, have been hoping that the Centre would announce the special railway zone to AP in the budget. The railway zone is not only a demand but a sentiment for North Andhra people. The Centre has betrayed AP again,” said CPI State assistant secretary JV Satyanarayana Murthy.
Recalling the promise made by the BJP during the 2014 elections, CPM State general secretary Ch Narsinga Rao said, “The BJP had promised to grant the special category status to AP within six months of coming to power and the Union Ministers have reiterated the promise all these years. Forget about granting the railway zone, the budget speech gave it a miss.”
YSR Congress activists from North Andhra districts led by Visakhapatnam district president Gudivada Amarnath, staged a protest near Assilmetta, dubbing it as a failure of the State government. “Though the railway zone finds a mention in the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014, it still remains a promise,” said Amarnath.