The Andhra Pradesh Assembly and the State Legislative Council unanimously passed resolutions urging the Centre to grant the promised Special Category Status (SCS) to the State while rejecting any special package in lieu of the promised SCS.

Moving the resolution, Chief Minister Jaganmohan Reddy said previously the TDP government during its tenure had accepted a special package instead of the promised SCS and even the Assembly had passed a resolution. “To set the record straight, my Government is moving the resolution and urging the Centre to accord SCS to the State, immediately, respecting the wishes and sentiments of the five crore people of Andhra Pradesh and honouring the promise made on the floor of the Rajya Sabha at the time of the bifurcation of the State,” he said.

He said the TDP government was responsible for the State not getting the SCS, as it did not pursue the matter in right earnest from the beginning. “In fact, it was a done deal. When the UPA was in power, in March 2014 the Union Cabinet, had sanctioned SCS to Andhra Pradesh and sent the recommendation to the Planning Commission to get it implemented. Even after the NDA government assumed charge in 2014, of which the TDP was also a member, the Planning Commission was in existence till the end of 2014. It was during this period the then Chief Minister, N Chandrababu Naidu, should have exerted pressure on the Planning Commission to secure SCS for the State. Subsequently, the Planning Commission was replaced by the NITI Aayog and the State government had accepted the special package and lost heavily..”

Then, several YSR Congress members including ministers criticised the former chief minister for his stand on the matter and at times heckled him.

Chandrababu Naidu’s response

The former chief minister said, “You are indulging in mud-slinging and distorting facts and blaming me. In all earnestness, we tried to secure the SCS for the State, but the NDA government did not honour the promise given on the floor of the House by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The special package was accepted, as a categorical assurance was given by the then Finance Minister, Arun Jaitley, that all the benefits under the SCS would be included in the package. But subsequently it became clear to us that the NDA government did not intend to honour the promise and we walked out of the Government and the NDA. Even sacrificing the political interests of the TDP, we fought the NDA government and tried to secure the SCS for the State.”

Admitting that the TDP had failed to secure the SCS for the State, he said, “We have tried sincerely and failed. Now it is your turn. People have rejected us and given you a massive mandate, 22 members of Lok Sabha from the State belong to your party. We will also support you. Get the SCS for the State. You will gain nothing by abusing me, heckling me and slinging mud on me or my party.”

In the State Legislative Council, Deputy Chief Minister P Subhash Chandra Bose moved the resolution for the SCS and it was unanimously passed.

Earlier, in AP Assembly K Raghupati of YSR Congress was unanimously elected the Deputy Speaker of the House. The Assembly was adjourned sine die on Tuesday.

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