Lok Sabha Election Results 2024: Why Has Andhra Pradesh Been Denied Special Category Status (SCS)? All You Need To Know. TDP’s Chandrababu Naidu has once again demanded a special category status for Andhra Pradesh as he showed support for an NDA coalition government. Naidu’s demand for SCS has been brushed off in the past by the former Congress-led Dr Manmohan Singh government and last in 2021 by the BJP.
In 2017, the Modi-led central government denied SCS to Andhra Pradesh saying it was constrained by the recommendation of the 14th Finance Commission as there was no distinction between special and general category states for financial support and tax devolution. Then in 2021, the BJP government reiterated the rules of the 14th Finance Commission.
Moreover Nityanand Rai, the Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, highlighted that a special package had already been given to Andhra Pradesh to compensate for the effects of bifurcation of the state. As such, the Center was not considering any more concessions and special status. Rai told the parliament that various incentives, promised under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Act, had already been implementing.
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Congress Touches Andhra Pradesh on the Touchy SCS Subject
This time around with the BJP looking for support from its allies to form a coalition government at the center, Special status cannot be overlooked. In April 2024, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh reminded the people of Andhra Pradesh that former prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh had made the promise for SCS during the passage of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Act, 2014. Singh had tabled on the floor of the Rajya Sabha in February of 2014.
Ramesh said Andhra Pradesh, through SCS, would receive benefits like special central assistance grants, better financing terms for externally aided projects, excise duty concessions, and tax breaks to attract investment in the state. He pointed out that these provisions, after the loss of Hyderabad to Telangana, would have helped the state prosper.
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The Congress leader added that every party failed the people of Andhra Pradesh. He said M Venkaiah Naidu, BJP leader, had said the BJP government would give the SCS to Andhra Pradesh for 10 years, but failed to follow through. Ramesh asserted that even Modi had made similar promises in 2014 but backtracked.
Meanwhile, its expected that TDP, after winning 135 seats out of 175 in Andhra Pradesh, will put forth its conditions to the BJP-led NDA. And SCS will definitely be on the agenda.
