Centre on Tuesday categorically ruled out granting of special category status to Andhra Pradesh but it assured of providing more assistance which would be more than what the State has been demanding.
Assuring the Rajya Sabha that all promises made to the people of the State would be fulfilled, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said 90 per cent of promises made under the Andhra Pradesh Re-organisation Act, which had led to the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana in 2014, have already been fulfilled.
“The remaining promises will also be kept,” he said while replying to a short-duration discussion in the Rajya Sabha on the non-implementation of provisions of the 2014 Act.
The Home Minister’s statement came after former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said he had expected his successor Narendra Modi to fulfil the UPA Government’s commitment on special category status to Andhra Pradesh as it was a promise made after consulting the BJP leaders at that time.
The TDP and other opposition parties also asked the Centre to honour its assurances in letter and spirit by granting special category status to Andhra Pradesh, even as the BJP accused the ruling party of the state of “misleading” its own people. Recently, the TDP quit the NDA coalition over this issue.
“Whatever commitments which have been given, not only by our Prime Minister but even the commitments made by former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, our Government will fulfill those commitments,” the Home Minister said, adding that commitments made in Parliament should be kept and the Centre is doing it.
After his reply, leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad categorically asked whether the Centre would be giving special category status to AP and sought a reply in “Yes or No”. To this, the Minister wondered whether it was not clear from his reply.
“Why are you just stuck at special category status. Why don't you just move onIJ The idea behind special category status is that the state should get assistance. We are giving more assistance than that,” Singh said.
“Both the states are big...Promises made in the Act will be fulfilled in letter and spirit,” Singh said, while requesting that this issue should not be politicised.
Former PM Manmohan Singh said he had made a “solemn commitment” on the floor of the House as prime minister of India on February 20, 2014. The assurance on special category status to the “successor state” of Andhra Pradesh was given after discussing the issue with Arun Jaitley, then leader of Opposition in the Upper House, and other senior BJP leaders, Singh said.
“Commitments made on the floor of the House are to be honoured and fulfilled. They are in the nature of an assurance on behalf of Parliament. I had expected my distinguished successor to fulfil the commitment I had made after consultation with his own colleagues,” the former Prime Minister said.
Initiating the debate, TDP leader YS Chowdary said the “hasty and unscientifically prepared and politically motivated decision of the undivided Andhra Pradesh” had caused agony to the people of the State.