Centre says no to Special Status for AP, again

As unyielding as it sounds, the Centre has again reiterated that it is not possible to grant Special Category Status to Andhra Pradesh. In a reply to TDP MP K. Ravindra Kumar, the Centre said that it had provided a special package through special assistance as suggested by the 14th Finance Commission.

The 14th Finance Commission restrictions do not allow for a Special Category Status, it said, after which the House was adjourned over ruckus created due to the Rafale scam. Telugu Desam Party MPs have been protesting outside the Parliament, demanding a rightful share for Andhra Pradesh as promised in the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014.

However, with Centre having a tough stance against Andhra Pradesh after the Telugu Desam Party pulled out from NDA, its demands have fallen on deaf ears. The protests by MPs have not had any effect on the ongoing Parliament session as it the current storm in the Parliament is centered around the Rafale scam.



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