A special debate on the demand of Special Category Status (SCS) to Andhra Pradesh is expected to be taken up in Parliament this week. while Communist Party of India (Marxist) has submitted a notice to this effect to the speaker office. A decision is expected by the speaker today or tomorrow. The CPI, which supported the bifurcation of the state, is planning to submit an adjournment motion on all issues related to Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Bill-2014, including the special category status.
CPM general secretary and Rajya Sabha member Yechuri Sitaram and CPI National secretary and Rajya Sabha member D Raja revealed this in the round table organized in New Delhi on Special Status to Andhra Pradesh.
Participating in the debate, organized by Pratyeka Hoda Sadhna Samiti of Andhra Pradesh which is planning a day-long protest dharna near Jantar Mantar on Monday, the CPM veteran said it was incumbent upon the union government to grant SCS to Andhra Pradesh immediately. It was the responsibility of the union government to help Andhra Pradesh develop post bifurcation as the state was made to suffer by the union government’s decision to divide the state of erstwhile Andhra Pradesh. As the member of the Upper House present participated in the debate on the Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Bill-2014, Yechuri recalled how the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh assured the people of Andhra Pradesh that centre would accord SCS to Andhra Pradesh. He also reminded how the BJP and TDP also stood for special category status.
“The same people who demanded the special status to Andhra Pradesh in Rajya Sabha are now very much in power at the Centre and at the state. And they are members of same coalition NDA. It’s very sad that they have forgotten their own obligations towards Andhra Pradesh . What is most unfortunate is that these governments are now denying special status on one pretext or the other,” Yechury said.
CPI National secretary and Rajya Sabha member D Raja lashed out at the center for not only going back on this promise but also at implementing the Polavaram Project, which had become a national project following the passage of AP Reorganization Bill. 2014. Raja also said his party would raise the issue of SCS to AP in the Rajya Sabha, by moving an adjournment motion.
Chalasani Srinivas, convener of Pratyeka Hoda Sadhana Samiti said it was the high time political parties in the state come together to raise all the issues related to AP with regard to the Bifurcation bill in Parliament. If parties fail in this, he said, Centre might continue its apathy towards the state.
