Naidu to meet PM to discuss special status for Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu today said he would meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 25 to discuss the issue of special status and other promises made to the state during bifurcation last year.
Naidu said he should have already met the Prime Minister for the purpose but the proposed meeting was postponed due to some important issues.
The ruling TDP-BJP combine has been under attack by Opposition YSR Congress and Congress on special status and other promises made to the state during bifurcation.
The main Opposition YSR Congress had held a protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi recently, while Left parties and Congress hit the streets in AP on the issue.

The promise of giving special status to Seemandhra (new Andhra Pradesh) was made by then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Parliament during a discussion on AP's division and creation of Telangana, which came into existence in June 2014.
Congress, then heading ruling UPA at the Centre, meted out a raw deal to Andhra Pradesh, but is crying foul now, Naidu charged.

The Centre has already delivered on several promises to AP like setting up several Central institutions, merging of seven mandals (sub-district administrative units) in Telangana with Andhra for purpose of Polavaram multi-purpose irrigation project and providing financial assistance, he said.

Naidu was speaking at an event at Tadepalligudem, over 300 km from here in West Godavari district where foundation stone was laid for National Institute of Technology (NIT) in the presence of Union Ministers M Venkaiah Naidu and Smriti Irani.
Noting that he held West Godavari in high esteem as all the MLAs and MPs in the district belonged to TDP-BJP, Naidu said the state government would develop the district in all spheres.