Amaravati works begin: Modi lays the foundation, but silent on special status
Modi did not announce either a financial package or special category status for AP
Vijayawada: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday laid the foundation stone for the construction of Andhra Pradesh’s new capital, Amaravati, at Uddandarayunipalem on the banks of River Krishna in Guntur district.
He poured sacred water and laid the stone in the Yagnakundam exactly at 12.39 pm.
A host of dignitaries including Telangana Chief Minister K. Chand-rasekhar Rao — who incidentally was the centre of attraction — ministers from Singapore and Japan, five Union ministers, industrialists and Tollywood personalities were present at the ceremony that was attended by nearly a lakh of people.
Contrary to expectations, Mr Modi did not announce either a financial package or special category status for Andhra Pradesh, although Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu made a passionate plea for a financial package till such time that AP rose on par with neighbouring states.
“Karnataka has Bengaluru, Tamil Nadu has Chennai and for Telangana, Hyderabad is the revenue-earning city. We, too, should develop on those lines. I request your help for us to grow, I request you to give us a special package. We are in dire straits,” Mr Naidu told the Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister, however, did not mention the special category status.
Not a day to seek sops, says Chandrababu Naidu
AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Friday strongly rebutted the charges levelled against him by the Opposition that he had compromised with the state’s interests during the foundation ceremony of Amaravati.
“I could not spoil an otherwise festive occasion by raising an emotive issue with a strong pitch. On one side we had foreign guests and on the other side, we had the Chief Minister of Telangana and other ministers and dignitaries. I had to be extremely careful and exercise restraint. I had to be balanced in my speech. Even a minute disturbance would alter the course of the entire function and our efforts would go waste,” the Chief Minister said.
He said he had raised the Special Category issue with the PM.