Naidu urges NITI Aayog to examine granting of spl status to AP

Union Urban Development Venkaiah Naidu today urged the NITI Aayog to "expeditiously" examine the issue of granting Special Status for Andhra Pradesh and assistance package to the State.
A statement from the Urban Development Minister's Office, which was released after Naidu had a detailed meeting with NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman Arvind Panagariya here, said that the Minister urged the NITI Ayog to take an early view on the demands for Special Status and assistance package for Andhra Pradesh.
The discussion lasted for 70 minutes, the statement said adding that Niti Aayog member Bibek Debroy and NITI Aayog CEO Sindhushri Khullar were also present.

During the meeting, Naidu suggested to NITI Aayog to examine expeditiously the issue of granting Special Status to Andhra Pradesh along with special additional assistance to the seven backward districts of North Coastal and Rayalaseema regions and adequate support to the Polavaram project.
Naidu, who hails from Andhra Pradesh, also suggested for providing incentives for industrialisation on the lines of Kalahandi-Bolangir-Koraput region of Odisha and Bundelkhand region of UP, tax exemptions on the lines of states like Himachal Pradesh, enhancing resource flow under Externally Aided Projects and enabling adequate resources for various projects mentioned in the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill.

Naidu briefed the NITI Ayog members, in detail, about the assurances given by the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the Parliament regarding extending Special Category status to the residuary state of Andhra Pradesh and National Project status to Polavaram Project, the statement added.
This meeting comes in the backdrop of NDA's key ally and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu calling on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to press for the Special Category Status to his state, a few days back.
While CPI and various groups had organised a bandh in Andhra Pradesh to press for granting Special Status to the state on August 11, opposition YSRCP has called for a bandh on August 29.