Andhra Pradesh BJP rattled by demands for Special Category Status

Visakhapatnam: The BJP appears to be rattled by the agitations being conducted by various groups demanding Special Category Status to the state. Party leaders are asking youngsters not to fall into the Opposition parties’ trap to use the SCS issue to advance their political agenda. Some youth in Vizag had taken up a fast-unto-death as part of the protest, but their efforts were foiled by the local police.

BJP state coordinator Purighalla Raghuram said that the Central led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was giving the needs of AP the highest priority, and there was no need for SCS or for the youth to agitate. He said the Centre would soon announce a separate railway zone for AP with Vizag as its headquarters. “Our Prime Minister’s motto is very clear. He wants the overall development of Andhra Pradesh and the country, generation of employment for the youth, development of entrepreneurship among the rural youth through mudra bank loans, and better road, rail and port connectivity for AP, which will lead to more investments and industries, which will eventually generate employment,” he said.

He added that AP would benefit from a few more thousand crores, rather than the SCS.  Raghuram said that at least 40 towns, including Bheemavaram in West Godavari and Proddutur in Kadapa, would be pumped with crores of rupees by the Centre under the AMRUT scheme, for their overall development.

“Youngsters need not worry about their future at all. With the kind of economic development the BJP government has envisioned for the state, there will be many jobs in the coming years. Everything can’t be done overnight, it takes time. Earlier it used to take years for an institution to be up and running after the foundation stone was laid; but now, new premier institutions sanctioned by the Centre are already functional,” he said.