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Centre again rules out Special Status to AP
The Centre once again firmly said its ‘no’ to Special Category Status (SCS) to Andhra Pradesh, albeit under the pretext that the National Development Council (NDC) had not recommended for the same amid a walkout by the Opposition.
New Delhi: The Centre once again firmly said its ‘no’ to Special Category Status (SCS) to Andhra Pradesh, albeit under the pretext that the National Development Council (NDC) had not recommended for the same amid a walkout by the Opposition.
In reply to a Calling Attention Motion moved by Congress member KVP Ramachandra Rao in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Home Rao Inderjit Singh said here on Tuesday that AP would never be accorded the Special Status as the National Development Council had not recommended the same and due to the 14th Finance Commission Recommendations.
Earlier, states were given the SCS because that was recommended by the NDC. In the absence of such a recommendation, the promise made on the floor of the House by then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh could not be fulfilled. Inderjit Singh further reiterated that the NDC was the body constituted for looking after developmental issues, including the SCS for the states during the regime of Planning Commission.
The government later had replaced with the NITI Aayog. Subsequently, the NITI Aayog itself had tasked filling of the revenue deficits of the states through tax devolution and post-devolution deficit grants too had been provided for.
In addition, the funding under the Centrally-Sponsored Scheme categories too had been restructured to the benefit of the states further, based on the report of rationalisation of funding under the CSS and hence the SCS had become completely redundant, he said. Earlier, members of the Congress, YSRCP, SP, BJD, BSP, TMC, CPI, CPM and JD(U) insisted on the SCS for AP as it was the bounden duty of the government to honour the commitment given by Parliament to AP during bifurcation.
Even TRS MP K Keshava Rao condemned the Centre's argument and said the 14th Finance Commission had nowhere mentioned that the SCS should be denied for AP and hence it was improper for the Centre to blame it on the Finance Commission or the NDC.
