Naidu chosen for royal ride: Congress on budget allocation for Andhra
In the Union Budget, the Centre has also allocated over Rs 3 trillion for programmes for women and girls and stated that it is fully committed to completing and financing the Polavaram irrigation project | (Photo: PTI)
The Congress on Tuesday slammed TDP leader N Chandrababu Naidu, alleging that he quit the NDA in 2018 because the Centre had not given special status to Andhra Pradesh. Six years later, with the government dependent on its MPs, he has only managed to get ‘special financial assistance’ for Amaravati.
The government on Tuesday announced a slew of measures for Andhra Pradesh, including provision of Rs 15,000 crore this fiscal and in the coming years for the development of the state capital.
Presenting the Union Budget for 2024-25, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the government will also provide special financial support for the development of the capital.
Reacting to the development, Jairam Ramesh, Congress general secretary and communications in-charge, said, “In 2018, Chandrababu Naidu garu quit the NDA over the non-organic chief minister’s failure to grant special status to Andhra Pradesh.
“Six years after the tragedy, at a time when the government is dependent on the support of its MPs, the only thing he has managed to secure for Amravati is ‘special financial assistance’.”
In another post, Ramesh wrote: “Why did it take 10 years to announce that what was already promised in the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014, will actually be implemented?”
Ramesh later also said that the federal government has included money in the budget every year since 1947.
“This budget of the non-organic Prime Minister for that time says that ‘Rs. 15,000 crore will be arranged’ for the development of Amravati. Arranged, not allocated. And what is Rs 15,000 crores? Just three gala weddings,” he said.
“As Mahatma Gandhi said about the Cripps Mission in 1942 — this is ‘a post-dated cheque on a collapsing bank’. Clearly, Chandrababu Naidu garu has been taken for a royal ride!” Ramesh said.
In the Union Budget, the Centre has also allocated over Rs 3 trillion for programmes for women and girls. The Centre has also stated that it is fully committed to completing and financing the Polavaram irrigation project.
The minister also announced a disadvantaged region grant for three counties in the state.
The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) is a key ally of the BJP at the Centre. Naidu is the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh.
Political parties from Andhra Pradesh have been protesting repeatedly since 2014, demanding special category status for the state.
Special Category Status is a classification of regions or states by the central government to provide special assistance in the form of tax breaks and financial support for the development of the region.
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First print: Jul 24, 2024 | 07:05 AM IST