Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu on phone and asked him to come to Delhi, to discuss about AP special status issue.

Upon centre’s open rejection of AP special status recently, Naidu called Modi on Tuesday, but Modi could not pick up Naidu’s call, complaining about some work. So, on Wednesday morning, Modi himself called Naidu on phone, and asked him to come to Delhi after 15th, for discussing about the various issues happening in the AP state.

This call from Modi, is now leading to various buzzes among the state officials. A few express that, it is positive sign from the centre, others say that, centre may try to convince the state government.

Centre ready to give more benefits than AP special status  

BJP and TDP officials are having internal fight for the special status for quite some time. Especially Naidu says, “As we promised special status during the elections, we got to declare it, otherwise, people are not in a mood to spare us next time.”

But the centre says, due to special status, a state can only get Rs.2000 to Rs.3000 crores benefits, but from the special package, which the centre is ready to grant, more than special status benefit can be attained.

Upon this declaration, it seems the AP government is coming down. But Naidu reportedly said to TDP MPs, “the exact content of that special package has to be known before hand, and if the state government gives its nod for its content, only then, it can be brought to the state.”  

Naidu stresses on 3 contents in special package, an alternative of AP special status

In the special package, centre is ready to give, Naidu stresses on 3 contents and says those three must be a part of the package for sure.

Firstly, it is industrial package. Centre must be able to provide special industrial package, along with tax exemptions, to the people, who want to set up new industries in AP.

90% of the centre programmes and foreign loans shoud be given as grants for five or nine years. Uttharandhra and Rayalaseema, which are considered as under developed, must be provided with huge financial help by the centre.

But among the mentioned proposals by state government, the centre is unable to accept a few and currently both the governments are discussing about it. The further progress of this issue might be found out, after Naidu meets PM after 15th.

By Phani