Sonia & Andhra

by Shivendra Singh · March 19, 2015

Congress president Sonia Gandhi

Congress president Sonia Gandhi in Parliament on Tuesday accused the NDA government of failing to fulfill promises made to Andhra Pradesh after the state was split. SREENIVAS JANYALA runs a background check.

PROMISES:

Special Category status for five years to the residuary state of Andhra Pradesh, announced by then PM Manmohan Singh in Rajya Sabha. Special category states receive 90 per cent grants, concessions on excise duty, loans from Centre.

Special Financial package for seven backward districts in the state

Bridging the revenue deficit of over Rs14,000 crores faced by AP

Funding for Polavaram Dam which the AP Reorganisation Act declared as a national project

Funding for the new capital, High Court, police and security establishments

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DELIVERY:

Special Status: Despite the promise, special status was not included in the AP Reorganisation Bill tabled by the UPA. Minister M Venkaiah Naidu told The Indian Express recently that the “UPA made several mistakes in the Act and we are trying to rectify them”.

Backward districts: Rs 50 crore each for the seven backward districts were given in February 2014, but there was no mention in the 2015-16 Budget. The Backward Regions Grant Fund has been scrapped. Minister Nirmala Sitharaman says special assistance will be provided to backward districts in several states.

Revenue Deficit : Not a penny has been allocated to Andhra Pradesh to bridge the revenue deficit.

Polavaram: Rs 100 crore has been released for the Rs 20,000-crore project. The state has spent Rs 8,000 crores on it already. Naidu agreed it was a paltry allocation, but said more would have come if the TDP government had submitted a proper report.

Capital: No funds have been allocated to support the AP Government to establish the new state capital which will require a minimum of Rs 20,000 crore.

VERDICT:

Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu

“All promises made to AP will be fulfilled”, though “it may take some time”, Venkaiah Naidu told The Indian Express.

Chandrababu Naidu