Sonia writes to Modi seeking Special Status to AP

HYDERABAD: In her bid to revive the dwindling fortunes of the Congress in Andhra Pradesh, AICC chief Sonia Gandhi has swung into action and begun cornering the BJP-led NDA government over its dillydallying in implementing all the promises made to the residuary State of AP while bifurcating the erstwhile undivided AP.

The Congress supremo wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting him to fulfil all promises made to AP including the promise of according Special Category Status to the reorganised State.

'I would like to draw your attention to my letter wrote to you on June 2, 2014, in connection with the implementation of the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014. In that letter, I had requested you to ensure that the commitments made to the people of AP are fulfilled in letter and spirit,' she said.

The AICC supremo, however, felt that even after eight months of the division, many of the investments and other commitments made by the Union government had remained unfulfilled.

'Special Category Status announced to the successor State of AP by the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the floor of the Rajya Sabha on February 20, 2014, has not yet been announced,' she pointed out.

Hence, Sonia Gandhi requested Modi to ensure that special status is accorded to AP with immediate effect. 'Please ensure that your resolve to fulfil all commitments to AP in a time-bound manner is conveyed in the special address to be delivered by the President during the ensuing budget session of Parliament,' she said in her letter.

The AICC supremo further urged the Prime Minister to ensure that adequate resources are provided in the ensuing Union budget for the coming financial year to give financial assistance to the AP government to overcome shortage of revenues as well as to support it financially to construct the new capital city.

'Adequate budget provisions need to be made to various ministries of the Union government to enable implementation of the development package promised in the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014,' she remarked.

In addition to this, required allocations need to be shown in the Railway Budget to fulfil commitments relating to the Indian Railways, she said.

Congress strategy to expose BJP

APCC chief N Raghuveera Reddy said they had formulated a strategy to expose the 'hollow promises' of the BJP made to the reorganised State during the general elections.

'All Congress MPs will question the Central government's inability in fulfilling the commitments given to the residuary State of AP while bifurcating the undivided State during the ensuing budget session of Parliament,' he said.