Centre to come up with AP ‘roadmap’

The Centre on Tuesday said a "roadmap" for implementing key provisions of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act would be prepared and a final view on granting special status to the state would be taken "reconciling" with the Finance Commission's recommendations.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley stated this after an over 90-minute meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu amid escalating pressure from the opposition parties in Andhra Pradesh on the demand for granting special status to the state as promised during bifurcation last year.

Briefing reporters, Jaitley said that NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Arvind Panagariya has been asked to discuss with the state government implementation of Sections 46, 90 and 94 of the Act related to Polavaram Irrigation Project, Finance Commission's award and fiscal measures. "The Vice Chairman of the NITI Aayog Arvind Panagariya has been asked to be in touch with the officers of the state government and to prepare a roadmap with regard to enforcement of each one of the provisions, which I have just mentioned in the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, which are commitments of the whole country towards the growth and development of Andhra Pradesh," the Finance Minister said. 

The NITI Aayog Vice Chairman, officials from the PMO and finance ministry were also present during the meeting. While Section 46 pertains to the award made by the 13th Finance Commission, Section 90 relates to the Polavaram Irrigation Project and Section 94 deals with the fiscal measures, including offer of tax incentives industrialisation and economic growth.