Centre should fulfil all promises: Lokesh

Amaravati: Continuing the attack on Central government, TDP national general secretary and Minister for IT and Panchayat Raj Nara Lokesh made some serious comments against the BJP-led NDA government during informal interaction with scribes here in Assembly on Monday.  

''If there is efficient leadership at Centre, then all the States will develop simultaneously. Now, AP has been facing hurdles to achieve progress, thanks to the State bifurcation,'' he said. 

He further said that the Central government should give Special Category Status and fulfill all the promises made under the AP Reorganisation Act. The Minister said the Central government had informed the State government that they would not continue the Special Category Status to any State in the country after 2017 and suggested alternative financial assistance under the special package. 

The Centre neither accorded Special Category Status to the State nor provided the financial assistance announced under the special package, he said. Reacting to Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's statement regarding ‘the procedure adopted by the Central government to help to State under special assistance,’ Lokesh pointed out that they had submitted detailed project reports to the Central government for six special projects.  

But the Central government did not respond to them till date. He expressed apprehension that the terms and conditions of international banks may not match with the terms, conditions and rules prescribed by the Central government. That would lead to further delay in execution of projects under Externally Aided Projects.

It is the responsibility of the Central government to extend support to the development of Andhra Pradesh as they divided the State against the will of Andhra people, he added.  He wondered why the Centre divided the State when it could not help the residuary State in its development.

At this juncture, he explained that the TDP would request all the parties which were present during the State bifurcation in Parliament to see that the State received the necessary support from the Centre.

He blamed the Opposition YSRCP for not extending support to the TDP in fighting against the BJP-led NDA government in Parliament. He criticised that YSRCP president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy has been misleading the public in the State by demanding only Special Category Status. 

But the TDP has been fighting for fulfillment of all promises made in AP Reorganisation Act including the Special Category Status.