Package no substitute to special status: Jaganmohan Reddy

VIJAYAWADA:  In the wake of the war of words between BJP chief Amit Shah and Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, Leader of Opposition and YSR Congress president YS Jaganmohan Reddy confined his reaction to one particular aspect - special category status and special package. In the press release issued late on Saturday night, Jaganmohan Reddy, pointing to Amit Shah’s observation that TDP agreed to special package in lieu of special category status and made a U-turn on the issue after two years, wondered how special package was equal to special status. ​

He said without providing industrial incentives to the State and without considering the fact that debt burden of the state increased from Rs 97,000 crore to Rs 2.25 lakh crore in the last 60 years, how can they claim special package is equal to special status and how  Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu agreed to it in the first place.  

“Without special status that provides industrial incentives and 100 income tax exemption, GST exemption, rebate on power tariff, how can Andhra Pradesh be on a level playing field with other states?” he said and asked when both TDP and BJP mentioned special status in their respective poll manifestos and it being pre-condition for state bifurcation, how they can divert from it. He stressed the future of Andhra Pradesh is only safe if the special status is accorded. 

Earlier, during the Praja Sankalpa Yatra in Guntur district, YSR Congress president YS Jaganmohan Reddy has said that corrupt practices in general and the infamous cash-for-vote case in particular, kept the former busy in the last four years, leaving farmers and other sections of the society in the lurch.