‘Centre willing to resolve Andhra’s financial issues’
IN PARLIAMENT Jaitley says govt working on two areas in lieu of special package for state
NEWDELHI:FINANCE minister Arun Jaitley announced that the Centre is willing to resolve financial issues related to the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, hours after Rajya Sabha saw protests following Union minister and TDP lawmaker YS Chaudhary’s demand for a clarification on the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act.
The Opposition protested Chaudhary’s demand, saying it violates propriety for a minister to comment on a presidential address that has been approved by the cabinet.
Replying on the budget debate in Lok Sabha, Jaitley said the Centre is working on two areas — amount in lieu of the special package and the state’s revenue deficit — apart from providing funds for capacity building. Telangana became the 29th state in June 2014, capping decades of struggle and an equally aggressive counter-agitation.
Jaitey said on Wednesday a meeting involving Nabard officials was held in Delhi. “The state wanted money through externally aided projects. CM wants it from Nabard. Yesterday, we made an arrangement. Officers have gone to Hyderabad to discuss with the state. And on the revenue deficit, we are trying to narrow the gap.”
He also said the Centre has given funds for a large number of institutions and “funds will continue to be given for establishment of institutions.”
Talks are on with ministries for other aspects of the Andhra package. “We will try and do it extremely early,” he said. The issue was raised again in the Upper House with Choudhary, whose party is a BJP ally, saying that the AP Reorganisation Act was passed “unscientifically and unreasonably”.
“On behalf of the Government of India, I would like to mention here, that the entire House is fully aware how the AP Reorganisation Act was passed so unscientifically and unreasonably... for which both the national parties are responsible,” he said. ‘MSP, JOB CREATION ARE GOVT’S RHETORIC’ NEWDELHI: Congress leader P Chidambaram said on Thursday that the proposed minimum support price (MSP) for food grains, the Ayushman Bharat health scheme and job creation are the three “jumlas"’(rhetoric) of the Bjp-led government, which has thrown all norms of fiscal prudence “out of the window”.
Chidambaram’s 40-minute speech in the Rajya Sabha was interrupted by continuous sloganeering by members of the ruling BJP who sought an apology from the Congress for “disrupting” PM Narendra Modi’s speech in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.
Chidambaram asked 12 questions related to the economy as he took on the BJP government over its announcement of the world’s largest government-funded health programme, the National Health Protection Scheme (NHPS), covering 100 million families.
How many of the jobs that the government claimed to have created comes under the definition of “proper employment” that ensures that the jobs are “certain, regular and reasonably safe” as defined by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), Chidambaram asked. Taking a dig, he asked if the government will suggest to the ILO to include those selling pakodas in its definition for employment. As soon as the Rajya Sabha convened at 2pm after an almost 90-minute adjournment, several BJP members stood up and demanded an apology from the Congress for disrupting the prime minister's speech on Wednesday.
Parliamentary affairs minister Ananth Kumar supported them, saying the main Opposition party must apologise for its conduct during the PM'S speech in the Lower House on Wednesday.
Amid loud chants by BJP members, saying the country would not tolerate the insult to the PM, Chidambaram said education, agriculture, health sectors and job creation were the major challenges facing the country and the Bjp-led NDA government had not addressed them in nearly four years of its rule.