Centre betrayed AP once again: CPM

Vijayawada (NTR Dist): CPM State secretary V Srinivasa Rao has expressed his dissatisfaction over the Budget allocations towards Andhra Pradesh State, stating that the Central government has once again did injustice to the State.

In a press release here on Wednesday, he alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is continuing his betraying policy towards the AP for the last eight years. AP Special Status issues were not considered this time also and Visakha Railway Zone and Kadapa steel plant issues were also totally ignored, he added.

The CPM leader further said that no funds have been earmarked for the development of backward areas like Uttarandhra, Rayalaseema and

Prakasam district. "Union finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman did not even mention the name of Andhra Pradesh in the entire 62-page budget speech, which is unfortunate. The Centre made new special allocations for Karnataka and neglected Polavaram, which is declared as a national project.

The common man will be in dire straits due to the halving of the employment guarantee allocations and the severe cuts in subsidies on food and fertilizers," he lamented. Srinivasa Rao demanded that the State government and the main Opposition party must oppose the Union budget, which is a huge disappointment for the State.