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Parties trade charges on Special Category Status
BJP leader V Srinivasa Raju said the State may lose benefits from the Centre if political parties persist only on the issue of SCS ignoring other financial packages.
Vijayawada: Leaders of various political parties traded charges on Special Category Status (SCS) to Andhra Pradesh at a round-table meeting conducted by the Andhra Pradesh Journalists Forum (APJAF) on Tuesday.
BJP leader V Srinivasa Raju said the State may lose benefits from the Centre if political parties persist only on the issue of SCS ignoring other financial packages.
Srinivasa Raju said that Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu had also agreed that Special Category Status was not a panacea for the problems of the State, and that the Centre would give a financial package which was better than SCS.
Despite the BJP’s promise of SCS to the State, the disapproval of National Development Council (NDC) emerged as a hurdle to take a decision on the issue,” he said.
TDP MLA Bonda Uma Maheswara Rao contradicted the contention of Srinivasa Raju leader and said Prime Minister Narendra Modi can accord Special Status to AP if he chose to, but the BJP was unwilling because of some ‘unknown reasons’. “The reasons being cited by the BJP are not valid. The party did not honour its promises made in Parliament,” he said.
The BJP is not keen on giving SCS as it is fears TDP will walk away with the credit,” alleged Malladi Vishnu, Congress City president.
APNGO district president N Vidya Sagar held the BJP responsible for the issue of SCS not being included in the AP Reorganisation Bill.
We urged the BJP top leaders to stall the Bill till the SCS was included in the Act. But, the BJP leaders did not pay heed to us,” he said.
Senior journalist Krishnanjaneyulu presided over the debate. MLC Boddu Nageswara Rao, CPM leader D Kasinath, Aam Admi Party leader P Venkata Rama Rao and others participated.
