Andhra CM writes to PM Modi, seeks special category status for state
HYDERABAD: YSR Congress Party president and Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Wednesday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, pitching for a special category status to his state. The move comes in the wake of the 15th Finance Commission saying the Centre had the discretion to confer the status on the state.
In his letter, Jagan pointed out that in its 2020-21 report tabled last week, the commission stated that the special category status demand remained in the domain of the Union government, “which can take an appropriate decision after due consideration”.
Jagan said the people of the state had been subjected to gross injustice owing to denial of special category status as promised by the previous UPA government at the time of bifurcation of then Andhra Pradesh. The Centre had been arguing that special category status ceased to exist for any state in accordance with the recommendations of the 14th Finance Commission.
He said, “The ministry of finance had been quoting the observations made by the 14th Finance Commission that it had not taken into account any distinction between special and general category states in determining their norms and recommendations. Based on this, the ministry said the concept of special category status is invalid.”
The CM said there was a definite inconsistency between the stand taken by the finance ministry and that of the 15th finance commission. “I humbly seek your kind intervention in this matter and see that the state gets the special category status,” he said.