No compromise on Special Status to Andhra Pradesh, says Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu

Giving details of funds released by Centre, CM says not a single penny has been released so far under Special Assistance Measure; targets Centre, Arun Jaitley

CPI activists staging a ‘Jaladeeksha’ demanding Special Category Status to State in the Krishna river at Durga Ghat in Vijayawada on Wednesday | P Ravindra Babu

VIJAYAWADA: Reiterating that there is no compromise when it comes to the interests of the State, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday questioned the silence of the Centre over the implementation of the provisions of the AP Reorganisation Act and the other promises, including the Special Category Status, made to AP.

In his more than three-hour-long reply to the motion of thanks to the Governor’s address in the State Assembly, the Chief Minister said they were demanding what was rightfully due to the State. “The Special Category Status (SCS) is right of Andhra people and we are demanding to implement the same,” he said, while reminding that the BJP in its election manifesto has also mentioned the same and even promised to give it for an additional five years than what was promised by the UPA government.

He also took exception to some BJP leaders’ remarks that where was the need for Central assistance when the State achieved double-digit growth. “Is it wrong to achieve double digit growth. Should we be penalised for it ?” he asked. Reminding that he is the senior most leader in the country, he said if he did not ensure justice to his people, he will never be forgiven by them.

The Chief Minister, who read out promises made by the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the Rajya Sabha, said they were only asking the Centre to implement the same.

Stating that the 14th Finance Commission did not say no to according Special Category Status to AP, he said the funding pattern for core schemes for 11 Special Category States was proposed after its recommendations. “Under it, those States will be provided 90 per cent Central funding for centrally-sponsored schemes instead of 60 per cent and 80 per cent in case of optional schemes instead of 50 per cent. We are asking for the same.

With regard to industrial incentives, those States are being compensated the same by way of refunding of Central tax and integrated tax for 10 years, which comes to Rs 27,000 crore (from 2017 to 2027), we are asking for the same,” he said. Arun Jaitley promised that the Centre will do justice to AP through Special Assistance Measure by giving all the benefits equivalent to the SCS. “But, we haven’t even received one paisa under the Special Assistance Measure and it is not implemented yet,” he said.

He said he went to Delhi 29 times and sent ministers, MPs, and officers to Delhi several times to remind the Centre of its commitments. “The Governor, at the time of bifurcation, had clearly said revenue deficit has been calculated at Rs 16,000 crore. The amount was quantified by the CAG. However, only Rs 4,000 crore was released so far,” Naidu said. He said the State Government spent Rs 13,054 crore on Polavaram, but the Centre has released only Rs 5,349 crore so far.

Taking exception to the Centre leaking the news that it has released more than Rs 12,000 crore so far and the State has not submitted the Utilisation Certificates (UCs), he questioned: “Will anyone submit UC for Rs 4,000 crore received towards bridging revenue deficit?”

He clarified that Utilization Certificates for Rs 4,000 crore spent on Polavaram project has been submitted and also for Rs 1,008 crore of the funds released for construction of the capital city Amaravati. “We have been submitting the UCs for all the funds in a timely manner,” he claimed.

As per the bifurcation Act, Visakhapatnam Railway Zone needs to be set up within six months but in four years, they have been delaying it in the name of the committee after committee, he criticised.
Reminding the promise of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Tirupati to building State capital which is better than New Delhi, he said so far only Rs 2,500 crore was given. “Is it possible to construct a capital city with those funds. We need more than Rs 42,000 crore to create required infrastructure in the capital city,” he said.

For setting up of 11 Central institutions in the State, only Rs 421 crore was released so far against Rs 11,500 crore that is needed for the construction of these institutions, he said and questioned the status of the promised petrochemical complex and steel plant.

Revenue deficit
A16,000 cr
Estimated amount
A4,000 cr
Money released to State so far
Polavaram
A13,054 cr
Money spent on Polavaram by
State government
A5,349 cr
Money released by the Centre so far
Capital city
A2,500 cr
Money released by the Centre for capital city construction
A42,000 cr
State’s demand for capital city construction