Centre must come clear on AP Reorganisation Act: Raghavulu

CPI (M) politburo member B V Raghavulu today said that both the State and the Centre should clarify their stand on promises made in the Andhra Pradesh Re-organisation Act and demanded that Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu mount pressure on the Union Government over extending a special package to the state.
"They have to clarify particularly on the funding for the construction of the new capital, implementation of special package and financial support to meet the budget deficit of the new state (AP)," Raghavulu told reporters.
He said on one hand, two Union Ministers Venkaiah Naidu and Sujana Chowdhary have expressed the inability of the Centre to implement the special package (for AP) and on the other hand, the Chief Minister says that the Union government was willing to implement all provisions under the Act.

"These statements have created doubts and fear among the people of Andhra Pradesh," Raghavulu said.
He said the BJP, which supported the Re-organisation Bill in the Parliament also has to come clear on the implementation of the Act.
He also demanded that Naidu lead an all-party delegation to Delhi on the issue.

A fortnight ago, Naidu had called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and had made a strong plea to extend a special package for the bifurcated state and special category status for five years.
"Andhra Pradesh required greater attention from the Centre as a "great injustice" was done in the process of bifurcation," the Chief Minister had conveyed to Modi.

He had demanded special financial support to create essential facilities in the new capital of successor state of Andhra Pradesh and also urged Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharati to complete the Polavaram multi-purpose irrigation project within four years.
The CM had also urged the Union Water Resources Ministry to make Andhra Pradesh a model state for water resource management.
Naidu had also asked Bharati to consider linking of Godavari and Krishna rivers in the wake of the NDA government actively pursuing various river interlinking projects in the country.
The Polavaram irrigation project has been declared a national project which the Centre is to execute it as per the AP Reorganisation Act.