Andhra Pradesh special status: Nine months, no delivery

Hyderabad: Nine months have elapsed but Andhra Pradesh, crisis-ridden on all fronts especially on financial grounds, is on the brink of disaster as the Centre’s promise to deliver all possible help is yet to meterialise.

There has been a feeling of being let down by the BJP and since the ruling TD is its political ally in the state, it is unable to defend itself publicly for not getting the promised financial package.

The political drama that unfolded inside Parliament is still fresh in public memory. Following ruckus in Lok Sabha, the Centre included some points in the Reorganisation Bill including that of Special Category Status.

During the course of debate in Rajya Sabha, the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had assured both Special Category Status as well as Industrial incentives. M. Venkaiah Naidu, who played a key role in the discussion, demanded it be made to 10 years (instead of five years) and went on to say that if BJP came to power, he would see to it that the SCS was extended to 10 years. Now, after becoming Union minister, he has ruled out SCS for AP saying that the Centre’s financial position is worse.

In fact, these incentives also form part of the SCS. So, when SCS is provided, incentives will be a duplication. But the Centre cannot delete the incentive option on its own. It has to be discussed again in Cabinet and put before Parliament.

Another problem is that while the SCS is only for AP, assurance was given that the incentives to industries would be for both AP and Telangana. So, the Centre is moving rather cautiously on the matter.

BJP had boasted in its election manifesto (in Seemandhra) that because it had exerted pressure, the UPA was forced to give the four important assurances in the form of a “special note”. “BJP is singularly responsible for making UPA agree for a SCS. If Congress made it for five years, BJP promises to extend it for 10 years,” the manifesto claimed.

Even for other controversial issues in the Reorganisation Act, the BJP assured that it would continue to uphold Seemandhra interests by making constitutional amendments, if necessary, it said. 

BJP now brings the NDC factor into picture since the National Development Council which consists of PM, all CMs, deputy chairperson of the (now-defunct) Planning Commission alone can approve SCS to any state. 

BJP, which is ruling in majority of the states, can easily get it ratified since the Congress, which is ruling in two states, will also support it. The opposition comes only from the four big non-BJP, non-Congress states viz. UP, Bihar, Tamil Nadu and WB. With majority states in its pocket, the BJP can easily pass the issue. But it may not wish to do so since it would become a poll issue in the ensuing elections to Bihar.

“Nitish Kumar will immediately take up the issue to the people saying that BJP is according all sops to the states where its allies are in power whereas Bihar, which sought the same status long back, was not accorded the same so far,” a top BJP functionary said. 

Though Tamil Nadu has not demanded special category status, it has put its foot down and has cautioned that the Centre cannot simply take for granted issues of wider financial implications. 

Odisha, Rajasthan and Telangana have also demanded SCS citing the provisions of the Gadgil Formula and social issues.  Perhaps the only solace from the Centre appears to be the amendment to the Reorganisation Act to transfer the lands that will be submerged under the Polavaram project to AP and also the assurance to make the project a centrally funded one.