Grant Special Category Status to AP, Says High Court

 - Sakshi Post

The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Friday sought an explanation from the central government on Special Category Status to Andhra Pradesh. It demanded to know why SCS was not accorded when it was given to other states. The High Court ordered the central government to file a counter-claim with all the details regarding special category status. The AP High Court also ordered the state government to file a counter-claim on this. The next hearing was adjourned to December 20.

A bench comprising Justices Asanuddin Amanullah and Boppudi Krishna Mohan passed the order. V. Ramachandra Varma, a lawyer from Amalapuram had filed public interest litigation (PIL) in the High Court finding fault with the Centre on granting special category status to the state.

Mangena Srirama Rao, counsel for the petitioner, said that the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had promised that special category status would be given to Andhra Pradesh after bifurcation of the state, but the promise had not been honoured even after all these years. He said that many northeastern states and other states had been granted SCS, but the centre was not fulfilling its promise in the case of Andhra Pradesh. A special package was announced in 2016 without giving status, but the industrial incentives being given to a few other states under Package-2 were not being given to AP.

Assistant Solicitor General N Harinath, appearing for the centre, said that the petitions on the issue were pending with the Supreme Court. The Apex Court has already made it clear that it has nothing to do with the petitions. Harinath said the geographical conditions of the states that were accorded special category status are different from that of Andhra Pradesh. The Supreme Court said that special category status should be given to Andhra Pradesh.

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