GUNTUR: AP Pratyeka Hoda Sadhana Samithi demanded the TDP government to mount pressure on the BJP led Union government to get Special Category Status (SCS) for Andhra Pradesh as promised during the time of bifurcation and election campaign. The roundtable meeting, held on Friday at Guntur, decided to organize ‘Chalo Assembly’ on November 20 for seeking SCS to AP. Samithi state president Ch Srinivas said that they have been fighting for the SCS issue for the past 40 months but there has been no response from the State and Union Governments.
He alleged that BJP cheated Andhra people by skirting the SCS clause. He mentioned that the BJP government sanctioned `60,000 crores to Maharashtra but is biased towards sanction of funds to the Southern States, for which AP is bearing the brunt. He said that the BJP is putting up excuses for sanctioning `5,000 crores to Polavaram project but sanctioning huge funds to northern and western States.
CPI State secretary K Ramakrishna questioned how BJP extended SCS to 11 States but not to AP. He alleged that the Union government is sanctioning huge funds to BJP led State governments. `18,000 crores has been allocated to Madhya Pradesh under PM housing scheme whereas only `71 crores has been sanctioned to AP for the same. He called the public including youth and students to join the Chalo Assembly protest for SCS.
CPI state assistant secretary M Nageswara Rao, AISF state president M Subba Rao, Jana Sena leader Sateesh, Forum of BC Associations leader T Narasimha Rao and other leaders announced gherao of Assembly on November 20 seeking SCS.