VIJAYAWADA: The YSRC MPs on Monday, July 19, 2021, joined the other agitating members in disrupting the proceedings of the Rajya Sabha demanding a discussion on according the Special Category Status to Andhra Pradesh. YSRC Parliamentary Party leader V Vijayasai Reddy served a notice under Rule 267 requesting the Chairman to suspend the Monday’s listed business and take up discussion on granting SCS to the residuary state of Andhra Pradesh.
“While reorganising the State, the Prime Minister gave some assurances and one of the most important assurances is granting SCS to AP. This assurance was taken up by the Union Cabinet, which on March 1, 2014 approved conferring SCS on AP. But even after more than seven years, the decision of the Union Cabinet is still pending for implementation,’’ the notice read.
Rajya Sabha Chairman, however, announced that a discussion cannot be taken up immediately on the issue. Amid the pandemonium in the House with the MPs of various Opposition parties rushing to the well of the House on various issues, the YSRC MPs rushed to the podium and demanded a discussion on Special Category Status to the State. The issue, however, could not be taken up for discussion as the Rajya Sabha did not transact any business on Monday.
In the Lok Sabha, the YSRC MPs raised the issue of Polavaram project and demanded that the Centre clear the pending dues of the national project, which is being implemented by the state government. Party MP PV Midhun Reddy served an adjournment notice seeking a debate on the issue. The party said there was an inordinate delay in the Centre giving its approval for the Revised Cost Estimates of the Polavaram project which was already approved by the technical advisory committee.
Demanding a discussion on the issue, the YSRC MPs rushed to the well of the House and raised slogans against the Centre’s “negligent attitude” towards the Polavaram project despite it being a national project.
Meanwhile, Vijayasai Reddy, in a tweet, reiterated that the party would raise the issues concerning the States in both the Houses of Parliament.
“The Centre is meting out a step-motherly treatment towards AP. Assurances given during the bifurcation of the State were not met even after eight years. We will raise our voice against privatisation of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP), demand approval for Revised Cost Estimates of the Polavaram Irrigation Project, raise SCS and inaction on the petition seeking disqualification of Narsapuram MP K Raghu Rama Krishna Raju,’’ Vijayasai explained.