The Narendra Modi government once again categorically made it clear that there is no question of granting special category status to Andhra Pradesh under any circumstances.
In a counter-affidavit submitted to Supreme Court on Wednesday, Union finance ministry said granting special category status to Andhra Pradesh was not possible.
At the same time, it also said the promises made by former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh in Rajya Sabha at the time of passage of bifurcation bill also cannot be implemented.
In the affidavit, the Centre claimed that it has implemented almost all the promises made in the bifurcation Act.
“So there is nothing left for us to implement in the Act,” it said.
However, it has not mentioned anything with regard to granting of funds under special package, except that it had released Rs 3,979 crore towards offsetting revenue deficit of Rs 4,116 crore for the first year of bifurcation under 2014-15.
On the capital funds, it said it had released Rs 2,500 crore and another Rs 1,000 crore would be given in three instalments subject to issuance of utilisation certificates.
The affidavit has no mention of railway zone or Kadapa steel plant. On Dugarajapatnam port, it said it was still examining the feasibility.
So, it clearly showed that the Narendra Modi government is not going to release a penny to the state in the coming days and that all the so-called fight being put up by the Telugu Desam Party headed by chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu is just a futile exercise aimed at gaining political benefits.
