BJP will launch a major public outreach in Andhra Pradesh following the Centre's announcement of a financial package for the state as it insisted that the deal offers more than the special category status.
Top state leaders of the party are arriving in the national capital to be briefed by Union ministers Arun Jaitley and M Venkaiah Naidu over the details of the package and how it will help the state and later meet president Amit Shah to chalk out details of their communication drive.
The state's in-charge Sidharth Nath Singh said TDP chief and the state's Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu is now fully on board and will lead the TDP-BJP combine's drive to inform the masses about the deal's contours as the Opposition has been attacking the ruling alliance over the absence of special category status.
"For the Opposition parties the key issue is the term special category status. What has been announced is not only equivalent to it but in fact more than that," he told reporters.
Citing an example, he said the Centre will now bear all expenditure to be incurred on the Pollavaram project while under the special category status the state would have to bear 10 per cent of it.
The central government has also agreed to ensure that the state spends only 10 percent of the money spent on the centrally-aided projects in the state by devising a mechanism.
He also highlighted grants of over Rs 22500 crore to be given to the state till 2020 besides an additional grant of Rs 7500 for the year 2014-15 to make his point.
"There is no loss for the state rather a gain from what they would have got under the special category status," he said.
The Centre had last night announced a financial package for Andhra Pradesh that includes full funding of Pollavaram irrigation project, tax concessions and a special assistance, but stopped short of giving the state a special category status.
It has argued that the terms of the 14th Finance Commission mean that the special category status can no longer be accorded to states.
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