Andhra Pradesh waits for special package
Centre had announced special packages for Rayalaseema and north coastal Andhra regions
By : snv sudhir
Update: 2015-06-02 01:11 GMT
Visakhapatnam: It’s been a year since the state has been bifurcated and the special package announced by the former prime minister for the backward regions of north Andhra and Rayalaseema still eludes the state. As pointed out by the Justice B. N. Sri Krishna Committee in its report on state bifurcation, the Centre had announced special packages for Rayalaseema and north coastal Andhra regions to assuage local passions.
The former PM had said the package would be on the lines of the Koraput-Bolangir-Kalahandi special plan for neighbouring Odisha and the Bundelkhand Special Package. Local think tanks had demanded no less than Rs 40,000 to Rs 50,000 crore for the development of agriculture, industry and service sector in the three districts of north Andhra.
The then Union government had announced a package of Rs 7,266 crore for a period of three years for the Bundelkhand region, covering UP and MP, in November 2009. The Centre had sanctioned the amount against the demand of the then UP Chief Minister, Ms Mayawati, for Rs 80,000 crore.
Initially the package was announced for three years from 2009 to 2012, later it was extended to five years under the 12th five year plan. “The package itself on the lines of the Bundelkhand package is not sufficient for the development of seven backward districts in the two regions. Even after a year since bifurcation, the package has not seen light of day. It’s unfortunate that no leader from this region is talking about it,” said Uttarandhra political JAC convenor J.T. Rama Rao.