Finance Minister Arun Jaitley spoke about the special package to Andhra Pradesh in parliament.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today assured protesting lawmakers from Andhra Pradesh that the centre is looking at all issues concerning the state sympathetically and some decision on a special package and revenue deficit will be worked out in the next couple of days.
There was high drama in the Lok Sabha as soon as Finance Minister Arun Jaitley stood up to reply to the budget discussion.
Agitating Telugu Desam Party or TDP members, who were already in the centre of the house, turned towards Mr Jaitley and urged him to consider their demands.
Mr Jaitley asked them to allow him begin is speech in which he would also refer to the state. Union Ministers Ananth Kumar and D V Sadananda Gowda too tried to convince the TDP members to allow Mr Jaitley to speak.
Speaker Sumitra Mahajan warned the TDP against showing their back to the chair. It took TDP leader Thota Narasimham several minutes to convince his colleagues to allow Mr Jaitley to speak.
When Mr Jaitley spoke on Andhra Pradesh, the TDP members were standing close to him, prompting union minister Uma Bharti to shield his cabinet colleague from any possible disruption.
An ally of the BJP, the TDP has been disrupting proceedings, demanding special package for the state.
In his speech, Mr Jaitley said many of the promises made at the time of bifurcation of the state are being fulfilled and various other projects are in progress.
But his assurance failed to placate the members of TDP and YSR Congress who protested by displaying placards and shouting slogans in the centre of the house. Some of them also squatted at protest.
When the state of Andhra Pradesh was bifurcated, it was also thought about economic disadvantage that the state is going to face, Mr Jaitley said, adding a package was promised to the people the people of the state in the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014.
"Now the package involved several aspects, many of which have been implemented. Some of them are work in progress. We have given so far funds as promised for a large number of institutions which are being created because most of the institutions went to the Telangana state. Therefore, AP is entitled to these institutions," he said.
"Funds have been given and funds will continue to be given" for establishment of those all the institutions which are mentioned in the Act, he said, when the institution is created, as it is being built up, funds will be given.