Special Category Status is a panacea, says YSRCP

Visakhapatnam: Demanding the Centre for Special Category Status (SCS), the YSR Congress Party staged a maha dharna at the Mahatma Gandhi statue nearby GVMC administration building here on Thursday.

A large number of party workers and people from all the Assembly constituencies in the GVMC limits were present and demanded the Centre for implementation of the listed sops in the AP Reorganisation Act-2014.

Addressing a gathering, MP V Vijaya Sai Reddy alleged that the Telugu Desam Party playing a dual role and cheating the people. With the failure of the TDP government, the Centre is delaying Special Category Status and Railway Zone  to Visakhapatnam, he alleged.

Criticising Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu comments (Special Category Status is not a ‘Sanjeevani’), Vijaya Sai Reddy said that Special Category Status is very much ‘Sanjeevani’ to Andhra Pradesh.

If the state benefited under the SCS, there is no need to beg for the investment and the industrialists would come to the state to set up more industries. Eleven states, which have been benefited with the SCS, were developing at a brisk pace in all sectors, Reddy pointed out.

Speaking about the YSRCP stand on the SCS, he said that the party would continue the fight till the Centre announces the SCS. As per the party decision, the MPs would tender resignations to their posts on March 6, he added. 

TDP never asks about the implementation of the sops announced during bifurcation of the state and the BJP always escapes in the name of technical issues, he lamented. Vijay Sai Reddy demanded the both BJP and TDP governments announce their stand on Special Category Status, railway zone to Visakhapatnam and other assured benefits during the bifurcation time.

All the party leaders, including Gudivada Amarnath, Mallya Vijaya Prasad, K Dharmasri, P Usha Kiran and Golla Baburao, also spoke. Later, they took out a rally from the GVMC to the Collectorate and submitted a memorandum to District Collector Pravin Kumar.

YSRCP lays siege to Collectorate

A large number of YSRCP leaders, including MLAs and cadre, from various mandals laid siege to the Collectorate and demanded the government join hands with them to achieve Special Category Status to state. 

On Thursday, MLAs P Pushpa Srivani, P Rajanna Dora and others staged a dharna in front of the Collectorate and appealed to the people to support them to achieve Special Category Status which would be a boon for the state.    

Senior leader Botcha Satyanarayana stated that they are demanding the Central government implement the promises, which were stated in Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act-2014. Union Minister for Civil Aviation P Ashok Gajapathi Raju strive in this regard and work for the development of the state. “We are fighting on behalf of crores of people of the state. But Naidu is working for his personal gain”, he  alleged.

The MLAs stated that Special Category Status would generate thousands of jobs and huge investments as the investors would be given incentives. “Youth should support us for the benefit of their future and for next generation”, he said. B Appalanarasaiah, Chinna Srinu and others participated in the dharna.