Reacting to the YSR Congress' rancour in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly over the Special Status issue, and the Jana Sena Party President Pawan Kalyan's statements on the same, Union minister M Venkaiah Naidu today said that there was an urgent need to educate the people and politicians on the facts about the criteria that were followed to offer Special Status to a State.
He lamented that some groups in the political fraternity were making a needless hue and cry over the issue, and criticizing the Centre and the Andhra Pradesh government for it.
The Centre had extended financial assistance in the form of a Rs. 2.25 lakh-crore special package to the State, something that it (Centre) had never done before, Naidu said. This package would help develop AP and also make it one of the most industrialized States in the nation, he said.
The union minister also said that he would welcome criticism from any Party provided it was based on facts. He also said that he was committed to the development of the two Telugu states.
"Although I do not represent Andhra Pradesh in Parliament, I will always strive for the development of my home State," he promised.
He also reminded that the BJP at the Centre, in its first Cabinet meeting, had merged seven mandals of Telangana into Andhra Pradesh, and added that the revenue deficit due to the merger would be borne by the Centre itself.
He also pointed out that the Polavaram project was being accorded National Project Status, and that all its cost would now be borne by the Union government.
All of these proved that the sincerity of the Centre towards the State's progress was unquestionable.
filed in:Andhra Pradesh Special Status, Venkaiah Naidu, Centre, BJP, Andhra Pradesh