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Arun Jaitley denies main aspects of AP Special Status, annoys state people

The people of Andhra Pradesh state has been facing the humiliation from the centre over the special status issue.

Union Minister of State for Finance Jayant Sinha , while addressing the members in Parliament yesterday has made it clear that the State would not get Special Category Status (SCS).

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitely has stated in the Lok Sabha on Thursday that the AP Reorganisation Act provisions are a commitment and the provisions cannot be denied to AP.

The Union Minister, though he raised the Polavaram and revenue issues of the state, but denied the main point of the Special Category Status to Andhra Pradesh.

The Minister, while speaking on the Finance Bill, which was later adopted,  said that the AP Reorganisation Act as such, was thrust on the BJP-led NDA government by the previous Congress-led UPA government.

He said that still his government took it as a commitment.

The minister made it clear that as AP lacked in many aspects, so NDA government has been giving Andhra Pradesh all that it could give.

Special funds for Polavaram, setting up Central institutions in the State and also for capital construction process, the NDA government is providing the best possible assistance, the minister said.

He assured the State that there would be special funds under the Polavaram project.

In the first year of AP's separation, there is some dispute as to the revenue deficit which would be settled in favour of AP, he added.

The minister has justified his statements saying that the special funds for AP have been alloted ,on the ground that there were severe drought-prone districts.