TDP failed to pursue Centre on Spl. Status

Hyderabad, Jan 17: YSR Congress has said that the TDP government has miserably failed in persuading the Centre to expedite the special status promise to the State as mentioned in the State Reorganization Bill and Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu is back to his old ways of closing down small sugar factories and there is no mention of the yawning deficit budget.

'TDP government unable to get any assurance on the special status to the Sate which would pave the way for industrialization shows that it has totally failed in tackling the issue with the Centre despite being a coalition partner of the NDA government.

This apart there is no mention of seeking Central funds to make up for budget deficit of Rs 16,000 crores which is a cause of concern,' Party MP PV Mithun Reddy told reporters here on Saturday.

The Chief Minister failed to pursue to get additional funds in lieu of the deficit with just one month to go for the next year Union Budget. We must get the amount before the Union budget is finalized failing which the deficit will further burden out State's economy.

Serving notices on farmers for the closure of Chittoor sugar factory shows that Chandrababu Naidu has returned to his old game of belittling farmers and agriculture as 54 units were either closed down or privatized during his previous tenure as Chief Minister. He could not get any assurance on the Green field crude oil project, which was supposed to be set up in Chittoor district.

According special status to the 13 districts of Andhra Pradesh has no financial implications on part of the Centre but it will help in rapid industrialization and growth. The State Government has failed to pursue the matter and not a single letter was written or a statement was made on the issue, he said.

The special packages to the backward Rayalaseema and north coastal Andhra was not mentioned and there is no categorical statement from the Chief Minister with regard to the funds, projects and other assurances from the Centre. This shows that the State has failed in following up the assurances given by the Centre, including those mentioned in the State Reorganization Bill.

Senior leader M Venkaiah Naidu was vociferous on the special packages while in Opposition but the Chief Minister could not use his good offices to translating the assurances given by the Centre into deeds, the MP from Rajampeta said.

Though Civil Aviation Minister hails from our state, the status of international airports at Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada and Tirupati is not known. The fate of Vizag-Chennai corridor is not known. Polavaram was accorded national status but it remains on paper as no work is taken up yet and TDP Government did not secure any funds from the Centre, he said adding that the Kadapa Steel Plant is yet to take shape.

Announcing a Railway zone has no financial involvement but still the State has failed to persuade the matter with the Centre and there is no mention of new railway lines.

'TDP has failed to pursue the core issues with the Centre which were assured in the Parliament and failed to get funds to fill the budgetary deficit,' he said.