Raising the issue, Mallikarjun Kharge (Cong) said Andhra Pradesh and Telangana were promised special category status by UPA government but the new dispensation had not granted it.
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About 300 Congress leaders have taken up agitation for Special Category Status to Andhra Pradesh and demanded the implementation of various benefits listed in the Andhra Pradesh Re-Organisation Act enacted to bifurcate the erstwhile united Andhra Pradesh into Telangana and new Andhra Pradesh.
“One-sided bifurcation has been done by the previous government”.
Earlier, Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad said special category status to Andhra Pradesh was proposed to be given for five years as well as fiscal measures and tax incentives on lines of ones given to Himachal Pradesh were announced. In his response, Jaitley said Centre is fully committed to help Andhra Pradesh.
After this, some Congress members trooped near the chairman’s podium.
Speaking to a delegation of Congress leaders and workers from the state at party’s 24 Akbar Road headquarters here, Rahul said that the people of Andhra Pradesh are asking questions on what support the Centre is giving to newly formed state.
“There are several commitments which are involved in the AP Reorganisation Act”. Today you might not have large votes in AP but as long as you’ll keep representing that idea, you’ll see as if by magic that Congress Party would start to grow.
Congress members, however, continued to create a ruckus, despite efforts of the chair.
At the same time, he said he also hailed from the same region and stressed that the government has taken a “keen interest” on the development of Andhra Pradesh soon after it took office and had taken a number of decisions to help the state including on the ambitious Polavaram multipurpose irrigation project. However, as slogan shouting continued, Kurien adjourned the House for few minutes.
“Special Category Status & AP Reorganization Act are necessary anchors to support AP through a hard transition”.
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As protests continued, TDP member from Telangana, CM Ramesh slammed the Congress for politicising the issue. “After two years they (Congress) realised that state’s bifurcation was wrong…”, he said, adding the party was wiped out from AP in the elections held after the bifurcation.
