Parliament witnessed uproar on Thursday over the issue of grant of special status or a package to Andhra Pradesh with a Union Minister belonging to BJP ally TDP, in an unprecedented move, urging Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to respond to the concerns raised by the members from the State.
Vociferous protests by MPs from the State led to adjournment of the Rajya Sabha in the pre lunch session and a brief adjournment of the lok Sabha.
Responding to the concerns of the agitated members, Jaitley in his reply on Budget debate in the lok Sabha said the Government has given funds for a large number of institutions and will continue to be give funds.
Maintaining that even when his party supported the creation of Telangana, Jaitley informed that "we said Andhra Pradesh was going to be at a disadvantage. " A special package was announced as part of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, he said adding some of them are being implemented and some are work in progress. As far as creation of capital (Amaravati) is concerned, the Government has made payments for the capital and money is also being given for Polavaram project, the Finance Minister said.
Earlier, blaming the Congress and BJP for the "hasty passage" of Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, TDP MP and Minister of state for Science and Technology Y S Chowdary said in the Rajya Sabha said the provisions of Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act have not been implemented and the matter should be addressed by the Finance Minister when he replies to the debate on the general budget.
Maintaining that he was trying to suggest a solution to break the logjam over the issue rocking Parliament, he said "on behalf of Government of India, I would like to mention here that this House is fully aware on how the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act was passed so unscientifically and unreasonably, for which both the national parties are responsible."
He claimed that in the last three and half years, the Government could not implement certain commitments given on behalf of the Act and suggested that if the Government is willing there are some issues of special category status, bridging of resource gap and building of steel plant.
Chowdary then sought an assurance that during his reply on the debate on budget, the Finance Minister may commit to resolve the issue within 15 days. Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Vijay Goel then said the Finance Minister during his speech will sort out the issue.
When members objected to the remark by Chowdary, Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu said the stalemate on the issue needs to be resolved and a minister can suggest a solution.
Vijai Sai Reddy (TRS) said as per the provisions of the Constitution, a minister has a collective responsibility and he should resign since he does not agree with the decision of the Union Cabinet. There were heated exchanges in the House over this.
Speaking in the lok Sabha, Chowdary said several projects under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act like the Polavaram project, a steel plant at Kadapa district and a separate railway zone for the state in Visakhapatnam have remained unaddressed. TDP and YSR Congress were protesting in the well of the house when he was speaking.
Parliamentary Minister Ananth Kumar sought to assure Chowdary that the NDA Government was "sensitive" to the issues raised by the people of Andhra Pradesh. Kumar also said Jaitley will speak on the issues during his reply.