YSR Congress Party president Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy today alleged that Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu during Delhi tour changed his tone from special status to ‘special package’ for the state and failed to keep the promise made during 2014 elections.
“Naidu failed to pressurise the Union ministers to get the special status for the state. Instead of demanding the special status, Naidu accepted the special package proposal which is only useful to get additional funds from the Centre,” Jagan alleged.
The YSRCP leader held a sit-in protest in front of the CRDA office here for opposing the government’s land acquisition for construction of the state’s capital city.
Under the special status category, the state would get more grants from the Centre, at 90 per cent for each development scheme, and also exemption of taxes for the industries to be set up, Jagan said.
The special status would attract more industries which would ultimately provide more employment, but ‘special package’ would only be useful to some extent, and would not benefit the state, he said.
Jagan appealed to the people to make successful the bandh call given for August 29 by his party to demand special status for the state.
He also said that YSRCP would continue the agitation against land acquisition and support the farmers who have been fighting against the government’s action.
Chandrababu yesterday held a meeting in New Delhi with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley amid escalating pressure from the opposition parties in AP on the demand for granting special status to the state as promised during bifurcation last year.
Jaitley said the Centre would prepare a “roadmap” for implementing key provisions of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act and a final view on granting special status to the state would be taken “reconciling” with the Finance Commission’s recommendations.
Later, the AP CM tweeted about his meeting with the Prime Minister saying that he discussed about the “dire” need for special status and special package to his state.
“Met Hon’ble Prime Minister @narendramodiji. Discussed about the dire need for Special Status & Special package to AP,” Naidu tweeted.
He also called on Union Home Minister Rajanth Singh to press for the demand for special category status to AP.