The Andhra Pradesh state assembly on Tuesday passed yet another resolution demanding that the Centre grant special category status to the state to undo the damage done to the state in the last five years.
“We don’t want any special financial package. We only want special category status. Nothing short of it is acceptable to us,” YSR Congress party president and chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy said, reading out the resolution in the assembly.
He said this was not yet another routine resolution, but was a fresh resolution setting all the records straight and removing all the confusion created by the previous Telugu Desam Party government by enacting various dramas in the name of special package and then special status.
Jagan pointed out that the state had been meted out gross injustice due to unscientific bifurcation and the damage done to the state could be rectified only through special category status.
The Centre had not fulfilled the promises made to the state in the bifurcation act till now, he alleged.
The chief minister also blamed it on the previous TDP government for compounding of the losses incurred to the state due to bifurcation.
“The previous government had not done anything to undo the injustice done to the state, which was now lagging behind in all aspects. The revenue deficit went up to Rs 65,000 crore. Educated youth were migrating neighbouring state due to lack of employment opportunities,” he said.
He said had the TDP government pursued with the erstwhile Planning Commission immediately after bifurcation, the state would have got the special status.
“If state gets special status, more and more industries would come to the state due to incentives and exemptions in IT and GST. Special category status is the lifeline of the state. Hence, this resolution,” Jagan asserted.