Hyderabad: YSR Congress has said that Chandrababu Naidu trying to water down special category status is only part of his policy of compromise which is detrimental to the interests of the state and his stand that north east states could not develop despite the status would have no takers.
‘We cannot compare northeast state to Andhra Pradesh and is Uttarakhand that we have to look at which has become a hub of pharma industry after the special status was given,’ party leader and PAC Chairman B Rajendranath Reddy told reporters here on Sunday. Chandrababu Naidu has compromised with the Centre and what we are getting is neither special status nor special package but only the Polavaram contract. It was written in the Act that Polavaram is a Centre sponsored multi-purpose project and now it is awarded to State as an irrigation project, watering down the utility. No hydel power could be generated if it is an irrigation project. ‘It will only benefit a section of leaders and contractors but special status will benefit all sections of people and huge incentives would come along with it. The incentives in tax, excise duty, transport, insurance, and banking would bring down the cost from 25 to 50 % and stands as a pulling factor for investors,’ he said.
The special package has nothing new in it as what all are announced in it are there either in the Act or is common to all states as recommended by the Finance Commission. During the division of the state BJP and TDP has agreed for the special category status and now Venkaiah Naidu asking why it was not included in the Act is ridiculous. Since they are in the government they can as well do it, if necessary.
What is lacking is will and the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government has given special status by an executive order to Uttarkhand and in case of Andhra Pradesh even the assurance is not being honoured, he said.
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