Won't Go Back On AP Special Status: Venkaiah Naidu

Union Minister For Urban Development Venkaiah Naidu today said that there was no question of the Centre going back on the issue of granting special status to Andhra Pradesh.

Speaking to the media at Nellore, Naidu said that he had recently met the NITI Aayog members and discussed for about 75 minutes the issues of special status, special package and concessions to industries for Andhra Pradesh.

The NITI Aayog committee would submit a report to the Prime Minister, who will then make an announcement on the basis of its recommendations, the union minister said.

He said that nine states have been demanding special status.

A special session of Parliament is likely to be held next month, Naidu, who is also Parliamentary Affairs Minister, said.

Speaking later at a function at Venkatachalam, Naidu said that there was need for both the Centre and the states to spend more on the health sector. He regretted that the poor were not getting proper medicare even after decades of Independence.

Against a need for 10.5 lakh doctors in the country, there were only 6.5 lakh doctors, he lamented.

The Central and State governments should allocate 6% of the budget to the health sector, he said.

He termed as unfortunate the incident at the Guntur General Hospital where a baby was bitten to death by rats.