YSRCP raises Special Category Status for Andhra Pradesh at all-party meeting

New Delhi [India], July 20 : The YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) has raised the issue of Special Category Status (SCS) to Andhra Pradesh at the all-party meeting convened by the Union government ahead of the Parliament session that begins on Thursday. Anti-Defection Law and reservation to Backward Classes (BCs) proportionate to their population were also some of the other issues the YSRCP raised at the meeting. 
After participating in the meeting YSRCP Parliamentary Party leader V Vijaya Sai Reddy told the reporters that the Centre should keep the promise of special status for Andhra Pradesh at the time of the bifurcation of the state.
 "We have discussed the issue of special status for Andhra Pradesh. The special status was assured by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh himself in the Rajya Sabha during the then Congress government. Special status will be given to Andhra Pradesh for ten years. And, even after the Congress government left and the BJP government came to power, it has not kept its promise till today," V Vijaya Sai Reddy said.
"Special status is necessary for the separated state of Andhra Pradesh. We are asking this as the right of the state," Reddy added. 
The YSRCP leader said that his party has very clear policies regarding Backward Classes from the very beginning. In Andhra Pradesh, currently, 15 per cent reservation is being implemented for SCs and 7 per cent for STs. Similarly, reservation for the backward classes, which constitute more than 50 per cent of the country's population, is currently limited to 27 per cent. He said that YSRCP appealed to the government in the meeting to implement 50 per cent reservation for BCs on the basis of population.
He alleged that Anti-Defection Law has been completely debilitated even though it was enshrined in the 10th schedule of the constitution.
"Neither the Congress government nor the BJP government acted sincerely in the implementation of that law. We have brought this matter to the attention of the All Party Meeting," Vijaya Sai Reddy said.
Vijayasai Reddy alleged that the Speakers who are presiding officers in the Lok Sabha in the states are completely lax in implementing the Anti-Defection Law.
The YSRCP  leader said that the Union government is acting positively in granting funds for the Polavaram project. Recently, it has sanctioned Rs 12911 crores in phase-1 regarding this project.
"We have appealed to the Center to release the remaining funds of Rs 4,233 crore as soon as possible. While the Andhra Pradesh government has already spent Rs 1310 crores on this project, it has requested the Center to release the due amount soon," Vijayasai Reddy said.
Vijayasai Reddy said that a special railway zone will be established with Visakhapatnam as the centre in Schedule 13, 8th point of the AP Redistricting Act. It has been four years since the government announced the establishment of the South Coastal Railway Zone. It has been three years since the submission of the DPR on the establishment of the railway zone, but the South Coastal Railway Zone has not yet started, Vijayasai Reddy said.
Vijayasai Reddy said that they have already made the YSRCP's opinion on Vizag Steel Plant clear to the Center several times.
"We mentioned it once again at the All-Party meeting today. The central decision to privatize the Vizag steel plant is not acceptable to the people of Andhra Pradesh under any circumstances. so we have made it clear to the central government that the government should withdraw this decision immediately," Vijayasai Reddy said 
"The policy of the BJP government is to privatize loss-making public sector industries. But Vizag Steel Plant is a profitable company. We have repeatedly said that the BJP government's decision to privatize the profitable steel plant is very wrong. We made the same clear to the Centre again today through the all-party meeting," Vijayasai Reddy said
Vijayasai Reddy said that all the YSRCP MPs will raise all these issues in this Parliament session and fight on behalf of the people of Andhra Pradesh.