Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act: Why are you silent on Special Category Status, CM Naidu asks YSRC

VIJAYAWADA: Asserting that he did not sacrifice the Special Category Status (SCS) and showed wisdom in accepting the Special Package, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has said that the Centre promised to fulfill all the issues mentioned in the AP Reorganisation Act. Alleging that the Congress was responsible for the injustice being meted out to the State, he said that if the then Centre led by the Congress dealt the State bifurcation properly, AP may not have witnessed the present situation.

He said he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley several times and appealed to fulfill the issues mentioned in the Act. Taking a dig at the remarks of the opposition YSRC that the TDP government compromised on the SCS, the Chief Minister sought to know why the YSRC kept quiet after announcing that the party MPs would resign if the Centre did not accord SCS to the State.

“Ours (TDP) was pre-poll alliance with the BJP and being an ally, we will have some constraints in raising some issues on public platforms. But, why the YSRC, which is not an ally to the BJP, is not mounting pressure on the Centre. They only want politics,” he said. 

The CM also appealed to all other opposition parties, which are blaming the State government over SCS, to pressurise the Centre through their leaders based in Delhi.On one hand thanking the Centre for sanctioning of various educational institutes to the state, the Chief Minister, however, said that the Centre has yet to pass the Bill for setting up the Central University and Tribal University. At the same, he also expressed dissatisfaction over the construction works of central institutions going at snail’s pace.

“Though, the state government on its part is allocating the required lands and giving money for construction of boundary walls, the delay in releasing funds is affecting the construction work and as a result meritorious students and faculty not coming to join the institutes despite organising classes in temporary accommodation,” he said.Seeking the Centre to lend a helping hand to the State, the Chief Minister said that the Union Home Ministry should review the AP Reorganisation Act and should strive for resolving issues.

BJP leaders meet CM
After the Chief Minister suggested to the BJP state leaders to speak to their Central leadership for implementing the promises under the AP State Reorganisation Act, MLAs and MLCs of the Saffron party called on the CM. The BJP leaders said that they will approach the Central leadership to protect the interests of the State.

Centre’s Promise
A16,075 crore
Revenue deficit estimated by 2014 – 15
A3,929 crore
amount released by Centre till date towards revenue deficit
A2,500 crore
grant provided by Centre for creation of new capital city
A1,000 crore
promised and yet to be released by the Centre for capital city development

Assembly passes bills without debate

The Assembly approved several bills on Thursday. In the absence of the members of the opposition, the process of passing the bills became a mere formality with the ministers concerned keeping the Bill for consideration, reading its features and requesting to pass the same and getting the nod of House.

Now, officials have to pay for delayed services 

Aimed at improving the quality of public in the state by providing transparent, efficient and timely services and facilitating Ease of Doing Business (EDB) through efficient public service delivery, the state government brought up the Andhra Pradesh Public Services Delivery Guarantee Bill, 2017.

• The Bill mandates clear timeline for delivery of public services 
• Every person shall have the right to obtain delivery of services within the stipulated time
• The public services delivered by the public authority shall be made available online 
• The govt may prescribe the services to which this Act shall apply and the stipulated time within which the services shall be provided
• Designated Officer, who fails to deliver the public service to a person within stipulated time shall be liable to pay compensation to the applicant