For yet another time, the Narendra Modi government at the Centre made it clear that there was no question of granting special category status to Andhra Pradesh under any circumstances.
Union minister of state for home Nityananda Rai, in his written reply to YSR Congress party MP Balli Durgaprasad on Tuesday, asserted that the Centre had already explained its stand on the special category status to AP. “We have already announced a special package to the state and hence, there is no way we can give special category status,” he said.
The minister reiterated that the issue of special status had been a closed chapter following the suggestions of the 14th finance commission. “We are now focussing on other issues mentioned in the reorganisation act,” he said.
He pointed out that there were still some contentious issues between two Telugu states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. “We shall make efforts to resolve all these issues at the earliest,” he said.
Now that the Centre has clarified its position on special status, it remains to be seen what stand the Jagan Mohan Reddy government would take hereafter.