NEW DELHI: Home Minister Rajnath Singh Tuesday ruled out granting special category status to Andhra Pradesh reiterating that state was being provided more assistance under special package then special category status.
"Whatever commitments which have been given, not only by our Prime Minister but even the commitments made by former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, our government will fulfil those commitments," he said. The minister said that the Centre is for development of every State irrespective of who is in power.
The Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad categorically asked if the Centre would grant the status or not to Andhra Pradesh. Rajnath Singh wondered why the debate is on the word when the state is providing more to the state. "Why are you just stuck at special category status? Why don't you just move on? The idea behind special category status is that the state should get assistance. We are giving more assistance than that as the state was to get over Rs 22,000 crore as revenue deficit grant in five years ending 2019-20 and the Centre is disbursing the amount," Singh said.
TDP MP Y S Chowdary initiated the discussion and blamed the Centre for not keeping up its promise made under the AP reorganisation Act. He said that a centrally-sponsored lynching is going on in Andhra Pradesh and the people are made to plead for central help.