New Delhi: Ending suspense on special status issue, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Wednesday said that the Centre would provide a special development package of Rs 1,50,000 crore to the residual State of Andhra Pradesh.
Suspense on granting special status to AP, which has become a sentiment for the people of the State, has finally comes to an end.
It was already decided that the Centre had dashed off the hopes on special status hours before Jaitley convened a press conference in New Delhi late on Wednesday night.
Speaking to media persons, Jaitley admitted that Andhra Pradesh lost principal source of revenue following bifurcation of the State. The BJP government would fulfill all the promises made in AP Reorganisation Act 2014, he said.
Eventhough the Union Minister assured financial help to Andhra Pradesh from the Centre, there seemed to be no such clarity from him on several assurances like railway zone for AP even after the scribes questioned him.
The Minister said that complete details of financial grant would be uploaded in the website tomorrow. “BJP government is committed in setting up Central institutions which are already in functional and some awaiting clearances,” he said.
Speaking to media persons, Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu asserted that the Centre would continue to render a helping hand to Andhra Pradesh. “It’s an incessant process,” he remarked.
