AP's endless wait for Special Status

HYDERABAD: Special Category Status (SCS) for Andhra Pradesh has so far remained a pie in the sky. This is causing some degree of disquiet among the AP leaders though they have not lost hope yet because it was the BJP which had fought for it in both Houses of Parliament during the fag-end of UPA-II.

Though then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh made an announcement in Parliament on according SCS for five years, it remained a promise only, causing discomfiture to the leaders of Andhra Pradesh.

The Manmohan Singh cabinet in March this year also took a decision to this effect and asked the Planning Commission to do it but that is where the things stand as of now.

In his Independence Day message, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that Planning Commission would be disbanded and a new institution would be ushered in to cater to the aspirations of 21st century India and strengthen participation of states, the ruling Telugu Desam Party is wondering how and in what shape SCS would come for Andhra Pradesh.

'When Chandrababu Naidu met the Prime Minister recently, at no stage was there any room for doubt. He was very much in favour of according SCS,' a senior TDP functionary said.

The delay in according SCS is on account of the proposal to disband the Planning Commission. 'But a brain-storming session is going on as to how to keep the promise of according SCS to AP since it was promised by a Prime Minister on the floor of Parliament at the time of the debate on the bifurcation Act. We are sure of getting the status since it was the BJP which fought for SCS,' the TDP leader said.

The AP government hopes that Narendra Modi would hold ground even if Telangana state wants similar status or for that matter if Tamil Nadu demands that such a status should not be given to AP.

'The Centre is not politically weak to acquiesce to the demands of other states on conferring SCS to AP. It has made a commitment and it will honour it,' the functionary said.

Though the Planning Commission will be disbanded and an alternative institution is brought in, according SCS is likely to be entrusted to another institution. The debate at present is which organ of the government should do it - whether it is the Finance Ministry or Planning and Programme Implementation Department.

The AP government is also hopeful that endorsement of National Development Council (NDC) would be done away with since Planning Commission would not be there anymore. If NDC's endorsement is not required, the work becomes simpler.

Also the government hopes that the eligibility criteria would undergo a sea-change. At present, the Planning Commission clears SCS proposal for states if a State has hilly and difficult terrain, significant tribal population, backward in infrastructure, proximity to borders and low population density.

Who is special

SCS to a State is Granted if it has:

Hilly and difficult terrain
Significant tribal population
Backward in infrastructure
Proximity to borders with neigbouring countries
Low population density
90% in the Form of Grant

SCS entails a State to get 90 per cent of the Centre's devolutions in the form of grant and only 10 per cent as loan. For other states, 30 per cent comes as a grant and the rest as loan. Of the total funds meant for states, 30 per cent is reserved for SCS states.