File Photo: Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh N Chandrababu Naidu
Under attack from YSR Congress and other opposition parties on the special status issue, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu would meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi tomorrow in Delhi to press for delivering on the promises made to the state during bifurcation last year.
"He (Naidu) is going to give him (Modi) a narration of what has been happening in the state. The difficulties that are being encountered in finances, institutions, lack of infrastructure etc...Then on the promises made in the (AP Reorganisation) Act as well as on the floor of the House by the then Prime Minister (Manmohan Singh)," Parakala Prabhakar, Advisor (Communications) to the state government, told PTI in Hyderabad.
The promise of special status to new Andhra Pradesh was made in Parliament by Singh during the bifurcation last year. BJP had also supported the promise.
YSR Congress, Congress and other parties have mounted attack on the ruling NDA allies -- TDP and BJP-- for allegedly going back on the promise of special status though one year has passed since they came to power.
Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi slammed the NDA on the special status promise during a recent tour of AP and YSR Congress president YS Jaganmohan Reddy held a protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi.
The state is facing deficit in revenue, absence of a proper capital and infrastructure, among others, following bifurcation.
Noting that special status is not the "panacea for everything", Mr Prabhakar said the state government would impress on the Centre on the need to "hand-hold" the state and provide support till a level-playing field is achieved with others.
The other issues to be raised by the state include the Visakhapatnam-Chennai industrial corridor, Chennai-Bangalore industrial corridor, funds for the multi-purpose Polavaram irrigation project, industrial incentives, tax exemptions, grants for backward areas, he said.
"They are not part of special status. Special status is a limited one. We want that and in addition to that (all other benefits). Both of that we want to have. We would also impress upon the Prime Minister that it (special status) has become an emotive issue," he said.