Special status is no cure-all: M Venkaiah Naidu

NELLORE (AP): Amid demands from opposition YSR Congress and other parties for special status for Andhra Pradesh as promised by the earlier UPA government, Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu today said the status alone wouldn't guarantee economic development.

"All problems will not be solved with the special status. Eleven states in the country have been given the special status and they now say they are poor. Special status is one of the issues for Andhra Pradesh. But everything won't be solved with that. Along with that, the Centre intends to help the state more than that," he said at an event in his native Nellore district.

The NDA government headed by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi is making efforts to speed up growth and create wealth in the country, he said.

The then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had promised special status to Seemandhra (the new Andhra Pradesh) during a discussion on AP Reorganisation Act in the Parliament.

The opposition parties in the state are now trying to corner the ruling TDP-BJP combine for Centre's failure to grant the special status.

Congress conducted a campaign where police complaints were filed against the Union Ministers from AP including Venkaiah Naidu and also against the Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu for "deceiving" people, and mass SMSes were sent to these leaders.

YSR Congress leader Y S Jaganmohan Reddy has announced an indefinite fast on the issue from October 7.

The Centre has directed the NITI Ayog vice-chairman Arvind Panagariya to prepare a roadmap on the benefits to be given to AP.