Venkaiah Naidu hits out at Congress on AP special status issue
HYDERABAD: Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Venkaiah Naidu accused the Congress party of indulging in malicious propoganda against the Centre on special status issue.
Mr Naidu alleged that the opposition has been obstructing development in Andhra Pradesh by creating confusion among people on special status issue. He also said the centre had sanctioned projects worth 2 lakh 25 throusand crore rupees for Andhra Pradesh which is more than what the state could have got through special status.
Mr Naidu called for extensive discussion among people on the issue of special status for Andhra Pradesh. Addressing a press conference in Hyderabad today, the union minister dared the opposition parties to come out for open debate on the issue keeping in mind the number of projects and financial assistance given by the centre for Andhra Pradesh in the last two years.
He said the centre has sanctioned a number of of projects in the fields of higher education, infrastructure, health, roads, shipping among others. He said those who are opposing special package to the state are anti-developmental forces and appealed to the people to understand that the centre would stand with Andhra Pradesh till it reached a level-playing field on par with other states.
On the occasion, Venkaiah Naidu aaserted that no state would develop without central assistance and assured that the centre would also extend helping hand to Telangana on its development front.
Speaking at another programme, the union minister stressed that both centre and states should give more priority to agriculture sector as farmers across the country are in crisis due to natural disasters and lack of minimum support price. He said 22 per cent of country’s population depend on agriculture for livelihood and it is high time that concrete measures are taken improve their economic standards.
He said storage, transport and marketing facilities should be improved to enable farmers to get better price for their produce. On the occasion, the Union minister suggested the media to give more space to agricultural news and opined that every private channel should start a kisan channel on the lines of Kisan Channel launched by Doordarshan of late.
