Andhra Pradesh special for us, but no tag: BJP
BJP AP in-charge defends Centre's decision not to grant SCS.
Vijayawada: BJP national secretary and its state party affairs in-charge Siddharth Nath Singh on Friday reiterated the Centre’s view that AP is a special state for the BJP, but it would not be granted Special Category Status.
Speaking to the media here on Friday, Mr Singh said that no state could be given special status as per the Niti-Aayog report and the 14th Finance Commission's recommendation.
“However, the Centre is looking at alternative ways to develop AP while providing it the benefits of Special Category Status,” he said. Mr Singh said that his party would counter the allegations regarding the Centre's cooperation, or lack thereof, and release of funds to AP.
He also termed allegations against the Centre to be the stuff of vote bank politics by some political parties, asking them to stop criticising the party with a political motive. The BJP-led Central government had released 30 per cent funds in excess of its original quota, he said.
He said that the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi were implementing promises in the AP Reorganisation Act, but special status was not in the Act: so where then was the BJP's lapse.
Mr Singh said that the Centre would bear the entire cost of the Polavaram project even though its actual share was 70 per cent. He recalled that the Centre had taken the initiative to merge seven mandals into AP as part of its commitment to complete the lifeline project.
Explaining the fund allotment, Mr Singh said that nearly '1.43 lakh crore was allotted to AP, with roads and infrastructure projects being allotted '65,000 crore and about '6,400 crore released under various heads.
He said that the Centre was implementing all promises in the Act priority-wise, with the railway zone to be given sanction soon.
He also reacted to the Congress' Private Member’s Bill and asked why its MP was trying to move this instead of focusing on his party's initiation.
BJP AP president K Hari Babu, former Union minister D. Purandeswari, MLC S. Veera Raju and other leaders were present.