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Special package will be more beneficial than SCS
Senior BJP leader and former MP D Purandeswari said she was waiting for the Centre to announce a special package, which is as good as special category status (SCS), to the State. Addressing the media on Wednesday, she said that it was unfortunate that the special category status could not be given to the State due to technical reasons.Â
​Visakhapatnam: Senior BJP leader and former MP D Purandeswari said she was waiting for the Centre to announce a special package, which is as good as special category status (SCS), to the State. Addressing the media on Wednesday, she said that it was unfortunate that the special category status could not be given to the State due to technical reasons.
“The Centre has given an assurance that the special package would have more benefits than special category status. The issue has been in discussion among the State and Central BJP leaders over the last few days,” she said. Stating that special category status had become a sentimental issue for the people of the State, the former MP said she had discussed the issue with BJP national president Amit Shah.
Even after sanctioning the special package, the Centre would extend full support to the State on all the pending issues pertaining to the development of Andhra Pradesh, she said. However, she declined to give further details on the special package to be accorded to the State saying that it would not be proper on her part to do so without a formal announcement from Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.
Purandeswari said that Parliament had approved the recommendations of the 14th Finance Commission for special grants to Andhra Pradesh. She said the Centre had annulled special status to eleven States in the past and was instead giving them special grants. In response to a query on whether a separate railway zone would be given to either Vijayawada or Visakhapatnam, she avoided a direct response and said she was optimistic that the State would definitely get a railway zone.
