Venkaiah felicitated for getting good package to AP

Vijayawada, Sept.17: Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu today said Andhra Pradesh would get more benefits under package compared to benefits under Special Category Status State. The Union minister was speaking at a function organized by his party to felicitate him. The BJP leaders felicitated Venkaiah Naidu for getting the special package to the State. Stating that his party would fulfill all its promises made to Andhra Pradesh on the eve of bifurcation, Venkaiah Naidu gave details of special package benefits and problems about special category status. He alleged the State faced injustice due to a conspiracy of the Congress party. Venkaiah Naidu said he had demanded that the Centre accord special status to Andhra Pradesh. But the situation has changed after submission of the recommendation of 14th Finance Commission. The situation would have changed the Special Status issue was incorporated in the AP Reorganization Act. He said the Congress party, in its manifesto in 2004, had promised that Telangana State would be carved out. But it did nothing though that party was in power from 2004 to 2014. Naidu said he spoke in Parliament not only on special status to AP, but also asked to meet the deficit. The situation of Andhra Pradesh would have changed the State was divided in 1972 itself, the Union minister said. He said he also participated in Jai Andhra movement. AP ministers Kamineni Srinivas, Manikya Rao, Devineni Umamaheshwar Rao, MLAs Gadde Rammohan, Akula Satyanarayana, former minister Kanna Lakshminarayana and others were present.