Congress plenary promised SCS, says PCC chief

Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Gidugu Rudra Raju said that the 85th session of AICC plenary which concluded at Naya Raipur recently had passed a unanimous resolution for the Special Category Status (SCS) to Andhra Pradesh and added that the plenary promised that SCS would be given to the state if Congress came to power.

Addressing a press conference at the party state office Andhra Ratna Bhavan here on Wednesday, Rudra Raju explained about the issued discussed in the plenary regarding AP. He said that during the meet, the AICC discussed the promise of SCS to AP made by the UPA government.

He further said the Polavaram project, the Backward Districts Development Fund for the Uttarandhra and Rayalaseema districts, and implementation of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014, were also discussed.

The PCC president said plenary promised to implement all the assurances given in the Parliament during the passage of AP Reorganisation Act. He said Visakha steel plant would have remained under the public sector if Congress was in government, adding that the UPA government had developed the plant. Former Prime Ministers Rajiv Gandhi, P V Narasimha Rao and Manmohan Singh released crore of rupees for the extension of the plant, he said.

Referring to the Adani Group, Rudra Raju said Congress would stage protests at all mandal headquarters on March 6 followed by 'Chalo Raj Bhavan' on March 13 over the financial irregularities by the Adani group.

APCC working president Mastan Vali, Congress senior leaders Kolanukonda Sivaji, Naraharasetti Narasimha Rao, V Gurunadham, Meesala Rajeswara Rao and others participated.