Jagan hopes Centre would grant Special Category Status to AP in future

On Independence Day, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy hoped the Centre would have a change of heart if not today, in the future, and accord Special Category Status (SCS) to the state in accordance with the promise made in Parliament. Addressing the ceremonial function after unfurling the national tricolor at the IGMC Stadium in Vijayawada on Saturday, the Chief Minister said his government was determined to achieve SCS for the state. "The government at the Centre is now not dependent on other parties (for support), so we dont see it granting SCS now.

But, if not today, in the future with the blessings of God we hope the situation will change and the central government will have a change of heart and accord SCS for the future of the state," the Chief Minister said. The state would nevertheless continue to raise the demand strongly for SCS, Jagan asserted. The Chief Minister said his government firmly believed that decentralization (of administration) was the right policy to heal the wounds inflicted upon the state by bifurcation.

"To ensure that we do not suffer more such wounds and that the three regions of the state flourish equally, we enacted the three capitals legislation. We will soon lay the foundation stone for the Executive Capital at Visakhapatnam and Judicial Capital in Kurnool," Jagan said. The Chief Minister said his 14-month rule so far gave a true meaning to the terms 'justice, liberty, equality, fraternity' as enshrined in the Preamble to the Constitution of India. In line with the Directive Principles of State Policy and Article 38 (2) enshrined in the Constitution, the state government launched a gamut of welfare schemes with SCs, STs, BCs, minorities and economically-backward among the upper castes as the main base, to remove the economic and social disparities.

"By introducing the Village Secretariat system, which is a new chapter in decentralization of administration, we have ensured Grama Swaraj as listed in the Directive Principles," the Chief Minister added. He noted that the government doled out ₹59,000 crore in the last 14 months to various sections under different welfare schemes.

As part of the measures to eliminate corruption, new initiatives like reverse tendering and judicial preview were launched while a review of the previous government's decisions resulted in an overall saving of ₹4,000 crore to the exchequer, he added. "Fruits of the schemes and initiatives we launched now will be fully available only after 10-20 years. These are not election schemes but those that are aimed at a better socio-economic and political transformation of the people of the state," Jagan summed up.

Earlier, the Chief Minister reviewed the ceremonial parade by different battalions of the Andhra Pradesh Special Police, commanded by young IPS officer Vakul Jindal. Chief Secretary Nilam Sawhney, Director General of Police D G Sawang, Principal Secretary (Political) Praveen Prakash and other senior officials attended.