Senior BJP leader and Union Minister of State for Steel and Heavy Industries, Bhupathiraju Srinivasa Varma, on Wednesday, said that the Central government had changed the special category status into a special package. He said that the finance commission had recommended withdrawal of special category status and suggested a special package to the states.

The Minister interacted with the media persons after planting a sapling on the campus of industries department in Delhi. He said that prime minister Narendra Modi had asked the people to plant a sapling in the name of their mother. He planted a sapling accordingly.

Later, he said that the Central government had given a clear statement on the special category status in the past. Several Union Ministers have already clarified on the special category status, he said. When his attention was drawn to the Bihar Assembly passing a resolution seeking special category status to the state.

The Minister said that the special category status is not given just because a state government or state Assembly passes a resolution. If that happens, every state assembly will pass a resolution and send it to the Central government for implementation. He said that it was a policy of the central government whether to grant special category status or not.

He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has to take a decision on granting special category status to any state.

The Union Minister said that Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu would hold a meeting with the MPs of the NDA parties in Delhi. Chandrababu Naidu would address the MPs belonging to the BJP, TDP and Jana Sena, Srinivasa Varma said. The chief minister is likely to give a call to the MPs on how to fight with the Central government and get funds to the state. He is also likely to direct the MPs to get more schemes to the state in the next five years.