Demand in RS for special status to Andhra

Members, cutting across party lines in Rajya Sabha, today passionately pleaded the NDA government to grant special status to Andhra Pradesh and honour the promises made by the previous government while bifurcating the state in 2014.
Members of Telugu Desam Party (TDP), an ally of BJP, as well as Congress, CPI-M, JD(U), Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP) and Trinamool Congress asked the government to implement the AP Reorganisation Act properly as the House took up a short duration discussion on the issue.
Congress member K V P Ramchandra Rao had moved a Private Member bill in the House for grant of special package to Andhra Pradesh last Friday but it could not be taken up then as the House could not function on that day due to ruckus over the controversial filming of Parliament complex by AAP's Lok Sabha member Bhagwant Mann.

Since the start of this week on Monday, Congress had been strongly insisting on taking up the bill and even disrupted the House for two days on the issue.
The government has contended that the bill is a money bill and hence it cannot be taken by Rajya Sabha. The matter is pending before Rajya Sabha Chairman.
Initiating a short duration discussion on the debate, former Union Minister and Congress leader Jairam Ramesh asked NDA government about the status of implementation of six assurances that former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had made while passage of the Act in February 2014.

"Out of six assurances, two of them have been implemented. I request the Finance Minister to shed light on other assurances, particularly on granting special status and a special package to the state," he said.

The NDA has already initiated measures to execute the Pollavaram project and announced funds for seven backward districts of AP, he said.
Ramesh said the then Prime Minister had assured granting of Special Category status to AP for five years. "When then PM made this assurance, Venkaiah Nadu had said it should be for 10 years and not five years," he said.
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TDP leader C M Ramesh demanded grant of special status to Andhra Pradesh saying the state is facing revenue deficit.

"We are facing revenue deficit after bifurcation. If Andhra Pradesh has to be developed, special status should be given," he insisted.
"People in the state are waiting for this special status. It has become a disease and people are thinking that there would be better life after getting special status. AP is in a problematic situation, please help us," he pleaded.
He also noted that the previous government had given assurance of special status to AP for five years and then BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu had insisted for 10 years.
"This has not been implemented yet. ...Naidu is being blamed for this," he said adding the AP has not been able to sustain due to low per capita income of the state and less number of urban population.

Noting that his party had not supported the bifurcation of AP then, Sitaram Yechury (CPI-M) said, however, the NDA government should implement the Act and keep the promises made by the former Prime Minister on floor of this House.
"As far as Andhra Pradesh is concerned, certain assurances were given in this House. The government may change, but it must be implemented. ....You have to assure whether you are going to fulfill those promises," he said.
He said the Centre has not compensated Andhra Pradesh for revenue deficit even as the state has passed two budgets and no action on granting special status to the state.

Yechury also said it was not a valid objection to object that a private member bill on granting special status to AP is a money bill as this can be decided by the Supreme Court.
Naresh Agrawal (SP) asked the government to fulfill the promises made to AP, while also drawing the attention of other states like UP and Bihar which are also poor and require special status.
Despite most Prime Ministers having been from UP, the state has not yet been developed, he said, while demanding a special status to the state.
Pleading the government to implement the assurances given to AP in letter and spirit, Sukhendu Sekhar Roy (AITC) said 10 states including West Bengal and Tamil Nadu have inherited huge debt and they need special help from the Centre.

"I urge the centre to call the meeting of state chief ministers to solve the problem of debt burden. Otherwise, there will be serious financial crisis," he said.
He also demanded the Centre to clear pending dues of Rs 6,500 to West Bengal at the earliest and not give step motherly treatment to the state.
Ali Anwar Ansari (JD-U) said, "We stand with them, we support their demand," and asserted that the government should also consider special status to Bihar.
He alleged that the Centre yields to those who agitate violently and not those who demand peacefully.
K V P Ramachandra Rao (Cong) said there have been some

rumours that he would withdraw the private members' Bill, and he asserted that he would not do so "under any circumstances."
He also questioned how his Bill could be termed as a Finance Bill and that too one year after it was submitted.
Rao said the promises that were made by the Manmohan Singh government at the time of the bifurcation of the state were "supported by you(BJP)."
He said the government should not hide behind technicalities and grant what was assured otherwise people would doubt an elected government.
Pressing from grant of special status, Rao said that during the division of Andhra, Seemandhra region had lost heavily.

After Rao spoke, Deputy chairman P J Kurien said that his private member's would be taken up on August 5.
However, immediately Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman got up and said that while he was speaking, Rao had referred to some papers in his hands, which he called cabinet minutes.
"How did he get hold of them?" questioned Sitharaman. To this, some members said Rao had referred to Congress Working Committee minutes.
V Vijaisai Reddy (YSRCP) said the five crore people of Andhra Pradesh have been given a "raw deal" and "are desperately waiting for justice."
He said the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had given an assurance that Andhra Pradesh would be made a special category state and that demand should be fulfilled.

Referring to a statement made by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Reddy recalled that he had said the government is a continuous entity and sought that the assurances made be fulfilled.
Reddy also said that the private member Bil should not be treated as a money Bill. He said if the Bill was treated as a money Bill, then 70 to 75 percent Bills coming to the House would become money Bills. He said granting of special status is definitely "sanjeevni" of lifeline for the people of Andhra Pradesh.