HYDERABAD: The YSR Congress has demanded that the Central government grant Special Category Status (SCS) to Andhra Pradesh as assured at the time of bifurcation of the State.
The Centre should set aside the technicalities and accord the coveted status to the State, which was totally disturbed and agitated over the issue.
YSRC MPs Y.V. Subba Reddy and Butta Renuka, who raised the issue in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, expressed concern that two and a half years after the State was bifurcated against the wishes of the people, the Centre was yet to grant the status.
The demand for the special status was neither new nor had it come from the people of Andhra Pradesh. The promise was made on the Floor of the House by then government after the State was divided against the wishes of the people of Andhra Pradesh.
The BJP, which was in the Opposition then, too, had insisted that the status be extended for 10 years, and not five years, as it would ensure accelerated progress of the newly formed State.
“Both the party in power as well as the Opposition were unanimous in offering special status to the State. Surprisingly, the government is expressing its inability to grant the status for reasons not known to us,” they said.
The government had offered special package rather than special status because of certain technicalities, but this was not the time for evaluating the criteria for grant the coveted status.
Grant of special status was an extremely sensitive issue and the Centre should respond without any further delay on the issue, they added.
