Andhra Pradesh may get special status or economic package today

Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu held a meeting here with his cabinet colleagues on Wednesday over a likely announcement from the Central government on either the grant of special category status to the state or a special economic package for AP.

In New Delhi, Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Y Satyanarayana Chowdary and Rajya Sabha member C M Ramesh had a meeting with Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu on the issue.

Chandrababu held the emergency meeting with some of his cabinet colleagues, discussing the happenings in the national capital.

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley is expected to make an announcement on the things that are likely to be delivered to AP in accordance with the Reorganisation Act, 2014.

It is understood that Chandrababu has been invited to New Delhi this afternoon but there is no word from his office here on whether he will make it for the trip. "Indications are that the Centre may announce a special package to the state. There is no clarity on whether it will grant special status as is being demanded," a CMO official said.

In Delhi, Satyanarayana Chowdary said the Centre wanted to refer the special status issue to the National Development Council.

"But we are insisting on special status without any reference to the NDC as it will only further delay the process," he said.

There is also stalemate over the establishment of a new railway zone at Visakhapatnam with the Centre pointing to objections raised by Odisha and Chhattisgarh.

In the event, there are talks now that a new railway zone may be set up with Vijayawada as the headquarters. "The Chief Minister is in constant touch with our people in New Delhi on all issues. There will be some clarity later in the afternoon," the official said.