Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today said that a “roadmap” for implementing key provisions of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act would be prepared and there was no “going back” on the Centre’s commitment on the Special Category Status for Andhra Pradesh.
“No question of anybody going back on this position. We had pressed for the economic rights of Andhra Pradesh on the floor of the House. For that we are doing all these exercise,” he told reporters, after meeting Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu here.
He further said that the Prime Minister has directed the Vice Chairman of Niti Aayog Arvind Panagariya to prepare a list and schedule expeditiously of all the commitments which are contained in the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, where the state requires assistance.
The Niti Aayog Committee will reconcile the recommendations of the 14th Finance Commission, as well as the commitments in the Act and the assurances given by the previous UPA government, he added.
“Now all these suggestions were discussed and Panagariya has been asked to prepare a list of them. He will be putting it up before the Prime Minister very shortly and thereafter the Prime Minister will take a view,” Jaitley said.
Earlier in the day, Jaitley, who spoke to reporters after Naidu met Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the NITI Aayog Vice Chairman has been asked to discuss with the state government implementation of Sections 46, 90 and 94 of the Act related to Polavaram Irrigation Project, Finance Commission’s award and fiscal measures.
“The Vice Chairman of the NITI Aayog Arvind Panagariya has been asked to be in touch with the officers of the state government and to prepare a roadmap with regard to enforcement of each one of the provisions, which I have just mentioned in the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, which are commitments of the whole country towards the growth and development of Andhra Pradesh,” the Finance Minister said.
The 90-minute meeting between Modi and Naidu comes in the wake of escalating pressure from the opposition parties in Andhra Pradesh on the demand for granting special status to the state as promised during bifurcation last year.
The NITI Aayog Vice Chairman, officials from the PMO and Finance ministry were also present during the meeting.
While Section 46 pertains to the award made by the 13th Finance Commission, Section 90 relates to the Polavaram Irrigation Project and Section 94 deals with the fiscal measures, including offer of tax incentives industrialisation and economic growth.