Will PM Modi deliver special category status for Andhra, asks Congress

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh shared on X his Rajya Sabha speech from seven years ago about the Modi government's 'failure' to deliver on the AP Reorganisation Act of 2014

The Congress on Wednesday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to give clarity on whether he would deliver the special category status for Andhra Pradesh.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh shared on X his speech in the Rajya Sabha from seven years ago about the Modi government's "failure" to deliver on the promise of the AP Reorganisation Act of 2014.

"I made this speech in the Rajya Sabha seven years ago, about the Modi Government's failure to deliver on the promise of the AP Reorganisation Act of 2014. Unfortunately, it still holds true today," he said.

"Unless (Chandrababu) Naidu garu takes this issue up aggressively, there is little hope that the? 'one-third' Pradhan Mantri will act," Ramesh said.

He said there are five broad issues that the PM should give clarity on.

"Will the prime minister deliver the special category status for Andhra Pradesh like he promised in the holy city of Tirupati in March 2014, he asked.

"Will he release the pending funds for the Polavaram Multipurpose Irrigation Project? Will he halt the privatization of the Vishakapatnam Steel Plant that his Government has pioneered?" Ramesh said.

Will the PM operationalise the new South Coast Railway zone that is supposed to be headquartered in Andhra Pradesh, Ramesh asked.

"Will he finally sanction the various commitments made in the AP Reorganisation Act - including the Kadapa Steel Plant, Duggirajupatnam Port, the Kakinada Petro complex, and an Agricultural University for the state - that he has dragged his feet on for ten years?" the Congress general secretary said.

Ramesh's remarks come on the day of the swearing-in ceremony of Naidu as the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh. Naidu's TDP is part of the BJP-led NDA.