Congress president Sonia Gandhi in Parliament on Tuesday accused the NDA government of failing to fulfill promises made to Andhra Pradesh after the state was split. SREENIVAS JANYALA runs a background check.
PROMISES:
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Special Category status for five years to the residuary state of Andhra Pradesh, announced by then PM Manmohan Singh in Rajya Sabha. Special category states receive 90 per cent grants, concessions on excise duty, loans from Centre.
Special Financial package for seven backward districts in the state
Bridging the revenue deficit of over Rs14,000 crores faced by AP
Funding for Polavaram Dam which the AP Reorganisation Act declared as a national project
Funding for the new capital, High Court, police and security establishments
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DELIVERY:
Special Status: Despite the promise, special status was not included in the AP Reorganisation Bill tabled by the UPA. Minister M Venkaiah Naidu told The Indian Express recently that the “UPA made several mistakes in the Act and we are trying to rectify them”.
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Backward districts: Rs 50 crore each for the seven backward districts were given in February 2014, but there was no mention in the 2015-16 Budget. The Backward Regions Grant Fund has been scrapped. Minister Nirmala Sitharaman says special assistance will be provided to backward districts in several states.
Revenue Deficit : Not a penny has been allocated to Andhra Pradesh to bridge the revenue deficit.
Polavaram: Rs 100 crore has been released for the Rs 20,000-crore project. The state has spent Rs 8,000 crores on it already. Naidu agreed it was a paltry allocation, but said more would have come if the TDP government had submitted a proper report.
Capital: No funds have been allocated to support the AP Government to establish the new state capital which will require a minimum of Rs 20,000 crore.
VERDICT:
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Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu
“All promises made to AP will be fulfilled”, though “it may take some time”, Venkaiah Naidu told The Indian Express.
Sreenivas Janyala is a Deputy Associate Editor at The Indian Express, where he serves as one of the most authoritative voices on the socio-political and economic landscape of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. With a career spanning over two decades in mainstream journalism, he provides deep-dive analysis and frontline reporting on the intricate dynamics of South Indian governance.
Expertise and Experience
Regional Specialization: Based in Hyderabad, Sreenivas has spent more than 20 years documenting the evolution of the Telugu-speaking states. His reporting was foundational during the historic Telangana statehood movement and continues to track the post-bifurcation development of both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
Key Coverage Beats: His extensive portfolio covers a vast spectrum of critical issues:
High-Stakes Politics: Comprehensive tracking of regional powerhouses (BRS, TDP, YSRCP, and Congress), electoral shifts, and the political careers of figures like K. Chandrashekar Rao, Chandrababu Naidu, and Jagan Mohan Reddy.
Internal Security & Conflict: Authoritative reporting on Left-Wing Extremism (LWE), the decline of the Maoist movement in former hotbeds, and intelligence-led investigations into regional security modules.
Governance & Infrastructure: Detailed analysis of massive irrigation projects (like Kaleshwaram and Polavaram), capital city developments (Amaravati), and the implementation of state welfare schemes.
Crisis & Health Reporting: Led the publication's ground-level coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic in South India and major industrial incidents, such as the Vizag gas leak.
Analytical Depth: Beyond daily news, Sreenivas is known for his "Explained" pieces that demystify complex regional disputes, such as river water sharing and judicial allocations between the sister states. ... Read More
