Home Minister says No Special Category Status

Union Home Minister, Rajnath Singh, here on Friday, on the TDP no-confidence motion, was unusually harsh on it and advised the State to "stop talking about Special Category Status henceforth and build the state with the special assistance being given to you by us".

Afraid that the Union Minister and the Centre might not mention the subject matter of the no-trust motion - AP Reorganization Act, 2014 promises - and kept protesting raising slogans and demanding him to speak on the it. At one point of time the TDP MPs tried to interrupt his speech by rushing towards the Treasury Benches and the House was adjourned for ten minutes.

Speaking against the motion he said "AP is a part of this country. We are ready to render all and any assistance to it in every form till it develops fully. We are aware of our responsibilities in developing both the Telugu states and we will do it without fail. One need not have any doubt over it".

Dismissing away the arguments of the TDP that the BJP had failed AP, he reiterated that the Centre was keeping each promise citing the allocations made so far. "By 2020 the State would receive more than Rs 2 lakh crore as assistance in every way. Because the 14th Finance Commission obliterated the SCS, the States are getting 42 per cent revenue instead of 32 per cent. As for the Revenue Deficit that the State faced because of the bifurcation, the Centre had released Rs 15,959 crore so far out of Rs 22,113 crore.

Towards Backward Areas Assistance, Rs 1,050 crore so far has been released. We have released Rs 1,500 crore for the capital and Rs 1,000 crore for Guntur and Vijayawada development works. Releases to Polavaram and institutions are continuing and discussions are on for more releases".