The Union Budget 2013-14 released on Thursday did not have a word on the Special status and the help to cover the deficit budget. However Finance Minister Arun Jaitley issued a clarification regarding this. “The Center is committed to help covering the deficit budget of Andhra Pradesh. This help will figure under special expenses of the central government and will be declared after the state budget is put up”.
Jaitley also affirmed that the center is committed to give the special status which was guaranteed by the division bill and later confirmed by BJP in its election manifesto. 250 Crores were allotted to Polavaram Authority in this budget. The allocation was small as the project is in very primary stage. The center has to bear the entire cost of Polavaram project since it was made a national project in the bifurcation bill. The Polavaram bill which 7 mandals of Bhadrachalam to Andhra Pradesh will be put to discussion and voting today in Lok Sabha.
