Special Status to AP a closed chapter: Centre

NEW DELHI: The Centre has once again poured cold water on the demand for special category status for Andhra Pradesh. On Tuesday, it came up with the same, old refrain on the issue in Lok Sabha and stated categorically that it was a closed chapter.

Replying to a question posed by TDP MP Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, Union Minister of State for Home Nityananda Rai made the stand of the Centre very clear for the umpteenth time. Interestingly, Nityananda Rai's statement contained nothing new and it in fact merely reiterated what the Union government had stated in the House in the past. The minister's written reply revolved around the same aspects that the Union home ministry dwelt at length on several previous occasions.

Harping on the Centre's stated line, Nityananda Rai said that the 14th Finance Commission had not given any consideration to the issue of special category status, not just to Andhra Pradesh but to any other state in the country. He explained that in lieu of special status, the states' share from the Central taxes had been enhanced to 42 per cent. Additional funds have been allocated to states that are facing revenue deficit, he added.

The minister stated further that even the 15th Finance Commission had persisted with the same recommendations. He claimed that most of the assurances given as part of the AP State Reorganisation Act had been fulfilled and only a few were pending. The Centre has convened meetings 28 times to resolve the disputes pertaining to bifurcation between AP and Telangana, Nityananda Rai added.