VIJAYAWADA: Andhra Pradesh is set to raise the issue of Special Category Status (SCS) at the Southern Zonal Council (SZC) meeting scheduled to be held in Tirupati on November 14. Apart from the SCS issue, the State will also raise issues pertaining to pending dues from the Centre and from neighbouring States.
It has also been decided to raise the issue of bringing the Jurala project on Krishna in neighbouring Telangana under the purview of Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) along with a discussion on the Centre's proposal of interlinking rivers. The zonal council meetings are held for better coordination among States and to resolve pending inter-State issues.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah will chair the zonal council meeting, which will be attended by Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Puducherry and Lieutenant Governors of Puducherry, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Administrator of Lakshadweep.
Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Wednesday held a meeting with officials on the agenda to be discussed at the zonal council meeting. "It has been decided to raise the issue of according SCS to the State as per the AP Reorganisation Act," an official release said.
The Chief Minister directed the officials to bring out the key issues pertaining to the State that need to be addressed and instructed them to be fully prepared for the zonal council meeting and to answer queries raised by other States related to Andhra Pradesh.
The officials informed the Chief Minister that pending issues related to the AP Reorganisation Act, have been included in the agenda along with the Polavaram project and release of power dues to the tune of Rs 6,300 crore to the State.
"Also, pending dues from Tamil Nadu for the Telugu Ganga project, revenue shortfall, pending Civil Supplies arrears from Telangana and rational allocation of PDS rice by the Centre have also been included in the agenda," the release said.
The meeting assumes significance in the wake of escalation of dispute between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh over sharing river waters and the Centre notifying jurisdictions of the KRMB and GRMB for which Telangana is yet to give its approval. The last meeting of the zonal council scheduled to be held in Tirupati on March 4, was cancelled as Shah could not attend it.