The Central government on Wednesday informed the Parliament that Rs 12,476.76 crore had already been sanctioned to Andhra Pradesh as 'special assistance', which included an amount of Rs 2,500 crore for constructing the state's capital city of Amaravati.
Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, Union minister of state for home Hansraj Gangaram Ahir, said that the Centre had been fulfilling all the provisions made in the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014.
Speaking about the release of grants for development projects, to fill in the resource gap and the Polavaram project, Ahir said that the Centre was taking many steps to help the state.
"In case of Andhra Pradesh, the 14th Finance Commission recommended that the central government would provide revenue deficit grant of Rs. 22,113 crore for a period of five years, in addition to the enhanced tax devolution. Funds have been released to Andhra Pradesh on this account for 2015-16 and 2016-17," he was quoted as saying.
Ahir also said that work related to Schedule IX, X and XIII of the AP Reorganization Act is under progress and the state government is being consulted over the issue.
Last week, the TDP withdrew its two Central Ministers P Ashok Gajapathi Raju (Civil Aviation) and YS Chowdary (Minister of State for Science and Technology) from the government, protesting the refusal of the Centre to oblige its demands for grant of special category status to Andhra Pradesh along with some other benefits.
BJP Ministers Kamineni Srinivas (Medical and Health) and P. Manikyala Rao (Endowments) also resigned from the Chandrababu Naidu government the same day.
However, the resigning union ministers said that the TDP would continue to be part of the BJP-led NDA government but none of its members would hold ministerial positions.
“We will continue to be a part of the NDA, but not take up any ministerial positions. I don't think there is anything wrong in that,” YS Chowdary told reporters.