JP Seeks White Paper on AP's Finances

The state government should release a white paper on the actual economic situation of Andhra Pradesh, post-bifurcation, rather than making insignificant political statements, said Lok Satta Party national chairperson Jayaprakash Narayan.

He alleged that the successor state of Andhra Pradesh was given a raw deal in the Union Budget-2015 by the Central government and the TDP government failed to protect the interests of the state.

Addressing the party cadre and supporters during his day-long ‘Telugu Bhavitha Sankalp Deeksha’ protest in the city Thursday, Jayaprakash Narayan pointed out that Lok Satta Party was the first one to point out that Andhra Pradesh would suffer the revenue loss after bifurcation. “I made suggestions in the Assembly to prevent such revenue loss and the same were discussed in the Parliament following which the then prime minister gave assurances to provide financial assistance to the state,” he pointed out.

He stated that the state government did not spell out the actual revenue deficit after the state bifurcation, which resulted in revenue-rich Hyderabad going to Telangana making the latter a revenue surplus state. He wanted the Central government to compensate for the revenue deficit arising out of the state bifurcation without failure. He also demanded that the Centre should take steps to complete the long-pending Polavaram project before the completion of the present government’s tenure in the next four years.

“People are not looking for freebies and instead demanding for employment, which can be created only through establishment of new industries that require special incentives for industries and also special status for Andhra Pradesh,” he said.

He demanded that the Central government to immediately announce tax incentives and special status to Andhra Pradesh, and develop schools, power plants, irrigation projects and other infrastructure as promised in the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act.

Jayaprakash Narayana, who organised a similar deeksha in Anantapur on March 3, is scheduled to conduct another protest in Vijayawada on March 8.

Courtesy: The New Indian Express