‘No special status for AP’

HYDERABAD: In a move that would further widen the gap between the TDP and the BJP, Union minister of state for home affairs HP Chaudhary on Friday told the Rajya Sabha that AP does not need special category status as the Centre has been fulfilling all other promises listed in the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014.

An angry AP chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu accused the Centre of adopting ‘indifferent attitude’ towards the bifurcated state. “The Centre is indifferent towards the state with regard to special status, separate railway zone and deficit financing issues,” he said.

In his reply to the debate on private member’s bill in the Rajya Sabha, Chaudhary said the 14th Finance Commission had not recommended special category status to any state in the country. He said the Centre is committed to fulfilling its financial commitment to AP. The NITI Aayog is looking into the special financial package and it will soon come out with a report. He said the Centre had already released funds for Amaravati and seven backward districts in the state.

Earlier, the relations between the BJP and the TDP deteriorated further when several Union ministers, including home minister Rajnath Singh, gave a patient hearing to YSRCP president YS Jaganmohan Reddy in Delhi earlier this week. Exasperated over this, finance minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu found fault with the Union ministers for “giving appointment to people facing cases in courts”. He said it will send a wrong signal to people. And quick to react was endowments minister P Manikyala Rao, who said Jagan has every right to meet Union ministers in his capacity as the leader of the opposition. Union law minister Sadananda Gowda joined the bandwagon pointing finger at the TDP government for the delay in the bifurcation of Hyderabad high court. Answering a question in Parliament, Gowda said the delay by AP government in providing necessary infrastructure for the new high court at Amaravati had halted the process of the division of the high court.

“How could AP provide infrastructure when it has no capital city. The state is still waiting for financial assistance from the Centre,” questioned HRD minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao. The simmering differences between two parties seem to have reached new level with both parties feeling discomfort with each other.

While the TDP is trying to blame the BJP for ‘insufficient’ financial assistance for the state and failure to grant special status, the BJP is harping on the point that the TDP government is not giving the NDA government its due credit for the funds already released for various projects in the state. The saffron party also sees the alliance with the TDP as a major hurdle to strengthen its base in AP.

“The NDA government has released funds for two lakh houses, water harvesting program, social security pensions and internet to villages. But the TDP has taken credit by renaming them as fibre grid project, ‘Panta Sanjavini‘ and ‘NTR housing program’,” said a senior BJP leader.

The TDP leadership sees a change of stand by the BJP on several issues including special category status, separate railway zone and deficit financing.

Sources said the TDP recently conducted a survey in about 40 assembly constituencies. The survey reportedly revealed that the BJP’s image has taken a beating in the state for not fulfilling poll promises. Many of the respondents are said to have equated the BJP with the Congress, which had divided the state. Following the survey, Naidu convened a meeting of the TDP strategy committee wherein senior ministers including Ramakrishnudu felt that the BJP is not serious on fulfilling the promises made in the AP Reorganisation Act. The TDP leadership also felt that the BJP is aiming at consolidating its base at the cost of the TDP.