Only Roadmap, No Special Status Now!

The pressure on CM Chandrabau Naidu from Opposition parties in Andhra Pradesh to prevail upon the Centre to grant Special Category status for State during his meeting with PM Narendra Modi today hasn’t worked. According to latest New Delhi reports, the Centre just agreed for a ‘roadmap’ to be prepared to implement the key provisions as written in Andhra Pradesh Re-Organization Act. 

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, PM Modi and AP CM Naidu had over 90 minutes meeting. Later, NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Arvind Panagariya is accorded the duty to discuss with Naidu on implementation of Sections 46 (Finance Commission Award), 90 (Polavaram Irrigation Project) and 94 (Fiscal Measures). He would deal with State Government in preparation of roadmap for implementation of all the provisions mentioned in the Re-Organization Act, said Jaitley.   

Prime Minister was of a view that all the needed assistance mentioned in the Act should be assured for Andhra Pradesh. According to an update, Naidu might call for a separate press meet anytime in next few hours in New Delhi to elaborate the outcome of this Delhi visit. After the roadmap for Telangana took years to realize, this is the roadmap for Andhra Pradesh development through financial packages and special status.