(PTI)
With TDP threatening to quit the NDA government, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today stepped in to pacify the sulking partner saying the Centre is committed to giving Andhra Pradesh financial assistance equivalent to a special category state.
Mr Jaitley said he agreed with the assessment that Andhra Pradesh was financially suffering after Telangana was carved out of the state and his government will honour each and every commitment made by the Centre at the time of bifurcation.
On Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu’s demand for fulfilling the promise of giving the state a special status, he said such a category did exist when the state was bifurcated in 2014. But after the implementation of the 14th Finance Commission recommendation, such a treatment is now constitutionally restricted to just the North Eastern and three hilly states.
