At a time when everybody has come to a realisation that the special category status to Andhra Pradesh is a closed chapter, the latest reports from New Delhi are indicating that the Centre might consider the demand.
According to these reports, the three-member committee constituted by the Union home ministry to look into the pending issues of the Andhra Pradesh state bifurcation is going to meet on February 17 through virtual mode.
The committee, comprising joint secretary of the Union home ministry besides senior officials of the finance department from the Andhra Pradesh and Telangana states – S S Rawat and P Ramakrishna Rao respectively, has set its agenda for the meeting and circulated it to the two states.
Sources said the agenda comprises several issues being raised by both the states in their representations to the Centre, by their MPs in parliament and by the representatives of the two states the southern zonal council meeting held by Union home minister Amit Shah at Tirupati in November.
In all, nine issues were included in the agenda, including division of the state finance corporation, electricity consumption by AP and Telangana, sharing of bank deposits between the two states, backward areas development fund, compensation of the revenue deficit and tax rebates.
The most interesting point included in the agenda by the Centre is the demand for special category status to Andhra Pradesh.
Though the demand is not part of the AP bifurcation act but was promised separately by then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, it was never discussed by the Narendra Modi government.
While ruling out the special category status to AP, the Modi government granted special financial assistance to the state during the then TDP government. Subsequently, in all the meetings of Parliament the Centre has been rejecting the demand.
Even the Jagan government has decided that the Centre won’t grant the special status to AP and yet, it still continues to raise the demand every time.
Against this backdrop, the including of the special category status demand to AP in the agenda for the inter-state meeting has led to the talk that the Centre might be considering the demand and it might even concede the demand.
If it really happens, it will be a big victory for Jagan and he can go to the next elections, taking credit for the same. Watch out for the latest developments!