VIJAYAWADA:The issue of special category status to Andhra Pradesh is still open as the Central government has not ruled out the same, BJP national secretary P Muralidhar Rao has said.
The BJP leader’s statement comes in wake of the opposition parties upping their ante against the Union and state governments, and preparing for a state-wide bandh on Tuesday.
Addressing the newsmen here Sunday, on his way to Guntur for participating in the party activists’ two-day training programme, Rao said that everyone wants special category status for the state and the Centre is looking at all possibilities to accord it to the state.
“Prime minister Narendra Modi is keen on strengthening the Centre’s relations with states in true federal spirit. He strongly believes in cooperative federalism and is committed to provide financial assistance to AP. The Centre is allocating more funds to the states for implementation of welfare and development programmes. It gives priority for devolution of funds as per the recommendations given by the 14th Finance Commission,” he assured.
According to him, the saffron party is serious about the special status, given that the party is on its way to strengthen its presence in the state and would not want to jeopardise the same.
Meanwhile, speaking to mediapersons in Guntur, BJP state president K Haribabu lashed out at the Congress for trying to politicise a sensitive issue. “Where were these Congress leaders when the state was bifurcated and why had not they tried to impress upon their party chief Sonia Gandhi to include the special category status in the AP Reorganisation Bill? As we have been saying time and again, the NDA government is committed to the every promise made and is looking at every possibility to accord special category status to the state,” he reiterated.
He also appealed to the people not to resort to acts of self sacrifice and said that his party is making every effort to see that state is not left behind on development front. Every effort is being made to bring more and more funds for the state in every possible manner, he added.