VIJAYAWADA: The Centre on Tuesday once again made it clear that Andhra Pradesh was given a special package in lieu of the Special Category Status on the request of the State. In a written reply to a question raised by YSRC MP V Vijayasai Reddy in the Rajya Sabha, Union Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary said the AP government had sought financial benefits to be extended under the Centrally-sponsored schemes as part of SCS as a special package.
Considering its request, the Centre had announced the package for AP, he said. Chaudhary said the AP CM in a recent meeting with the NITI Aayog had sought the SCS. The Centre has the responsibility to fulfill the assurances made in the AP Reorganisation Act. It had released Rs 22,112 crore as revenue deficit grant for 2015 to 2020 and Rs 5,897 crore in 2020-21, he explained.