Andhra Pradesh doesn’t need special status: Centre

Hyderabad: Clarifying on the Centre’s position on according special status to AP, deputy secretary of department of industrial policy and development Ashish Datta wrote: “The Planning Commission accords special category status to a state based on specific criteria. As the state of Andhra Pradesh cannot be distinguished by any of the criteria, therefore, at present no special package of industrial incentives can be considered. However, the state may like to get benefited under the Central Industrial Infrastructure Upgradation scheme that allows financial support for improving the quality of infrastructure in the industrial clusters.”

Regarding the Vizag-Chennai Industrial Corridor, Mr Datta said that the conceptual development plan report had been completed by Asian Development Bank, the nodal agency. He said the state governments were primarily responsible for industrial development in their states, the Centre supplements their efforts through various schemes launched by it with a view to promoting industrialisation in industrially backward areas, under which financial support for improving the quality of industrial infrastructure is extended.

He said that the AP Reorganisation Act had provided for a special development package and fiscal measures including tax incentives to provide industrialisation and economic growth in Andhra Pradesh.