Implement Andhra Reorganization Act in letter, spirit: CM Naidu to Centre

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Friday exhorted the Centre to implement the Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Act in "letter and spirit."

While addressing a Telugu Desam Party (TDP) Parliamentary Board meeting here, Naidu said, "Yuvajana Shramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) is only demanding the special category status (SCS) to the state. SCS alone is not enough; all the remaining points in the AP Reorganization Act should be implemented. Only then AP will stand financially stable.

The Chief Minister added that if the Centre gave the special category status to the state and nothing else, the state would lose.

"Only demanding SCS, leaving railway zone, Kadapa teel factory, revenue deficit, capital and etcetera is not correct," he continued, adding, "People know YSRCP has no credibility, it is playing drama."

"Public sentiment should be respected. It is the Centre's responsibility to respect and fulfill the peoples' demands," Naidu maintained.

He asserted that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) might also face the wrath of the public like the Congress Party did for doing injustice to the state.

"Even after four years of bifurcation, AP is suffering. The Congress, which had done injustice to the state, faced the peoples' wrath. People are thinking whether the BJP also will follow the same course for doing injustice," The TDP supremo said.

"We accepted for special assistance as the Center said there were problems for the SCS. However, we never ever said no to the special status. Now, the centre is giving SCS to other states. How? In such case, we too need SCS," Andhra Pradesh CM said.

Maintaining that Andhra Pradesh is lagging behind the neighbouring states in per capita income by Rs 35000, Naidu said comparing the per capita incomes was not correct.

Naidu was of the view that both the Telugu states - Telangana and Andhra Pradesh- have weakened after the bifurcation.

"Both Telugu states are weakened after bifurcation. When we had 42 MPs, we could cause benefit to the state by mounting pressure on centre. But now the situation is that state interests can be achieved only through the support of national parties," Naidu said.

The Chief Minister was angry with the Centre's argument of giving the formula for revenue deficit.

He said, "I am a politician by birth and not ready to write books."

Naidu was also harsh on BJP's Rayalaseema declaration.

State unit of the BJP and BJP leaders of Rayalaseema on Friday passed a resolution adopting the Rayalaseema Declaration that sought setting up of a high court and second capital in the region.

The declaration included 16 demands for the Rayalaseema region. The BJP's state unit wanted the state government to fulfill the 16 demands before its term ended.

Naidu alleged that the BJP's state unit was not asking funds for the state but wanted to trouble the state government.

"You (BJP) are not asking the centre for funds but troubling the state government? We (state government) are not negligent in consultations. We consulted the centre even yesterday. What is the formula you gave? What is the logic you say that we should ask? It is centre's responsibility to give what is to be given," Naidu said.

In addition, TDP MP Jayadev Galla said after the parliamentary board meeting, "What other states are getting under Special Category Status must be given to AP also. All promises of reorganization act must be implemented, or we may even go for legal action. It has become a national issue. We are going to write to leaders of all parties."

Another TDP MP, T. Narasimham, said, "BJP didn't fulfill any promise made on Special Category Status or special assistance; neither did it implement Reorganization Act. We are going to increase pressure on the centre, by continuing our agitation."