'No decision yet on special status to Andhra'

The NDA central government has not yet taken a decision on granting special category status to Andhra Pradesh and the issue was under consideration, said union Urban Development Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu.

Naidu faced a volley of questions at a news conference here Sunday, a day after Telugu Desam Party (TDP), a partner in the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance, voiced disappointment over the union budget for 2015-16.

The budget tabled in parliament Saturday made no mention of special status.

TDP president and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has announced that he will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi to seek justice to the state as promised by him during election campaign last year.

Venkaiah Naidu meanwhile assured that the central government would fulfill all commitments made in Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act.

He admitted that Rs.100 crore allocated in the budget for Polavaram project is insufficient and promised to take up the issue with Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.

"Can I fight in the government," he shot back when asked why is he not fighting for special status.

"Every day I am spending some time for betterment of the two states in whatever manner I can do," said the BJP leader, who played a key role in extracting some commitments for Andhra Pradesh from then UPA government during debate on the reorganisation bill in parliament.

Visibly upset over some questions by reporters, Venkaiah Naidu wanted to know why they never asked these questions to the previous government.

"He expressed his views as the chief minister. I will discharge my responsibility as the central minister," he said when asked to comment on TDP chief's comments.