Kadapa MP demands centre to accord SCS for Andhra Pradesh in parliament

TIRUPATI: Kadapa MP YS Avinash Reddy urged the government of India to accord special category status for the truncated state of Andhra Pradesh besides fulfilling the numerous promises extended to the state as part of the AP reorganization Act.

Delivering his speech on the finance bill-2024 at the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, Avinash Reddy recalled that despite numerous appeals and representations given by ex AP Chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy to Prime minister Narendra Modi up accord SCS for Andhra Pradesh, this long pending demand of the people of the state remains still pending.

He also brought the notice of the house to the promise of establishing a steel plant at Kadapa and a railway zone at Visakhapatnam, both of which haven't been fulfilled yet, though these are promises made to the state in the reorganization Act.

Meanwhile, the Kadapa MP expressed concerns over the glaring disparity between the rich and the poor. "India is soon becoming the third largest economy in the world but unfortunately while 77% of the total national wealth is with 10% of the population, only a meagre 23% is with the remaining 90% people of the country. The govt should initiate measures to narrow down this disparity and ensure the poor get better opportunities to increase their wealth", Avinash Reddy observed.

Pointing out that despite a surge in direct and indirect tax collections, the poor and the middle class, weavers, farmers etc were burdened with irrational tax slabs, the Kadapa MP urged the union govt to reconsider requests from the farmers, weavers and others to reduce or completely waive the GST levies on certain commonly consumed products and services by the lower and middle income groups.

Avinash Reddy also found fault with the levy of 18% on health and life insurance plans and urged the government of India to also consider increasing the existing deduction limit of Rs.25000 on health insurance premiums to Rs.1 lakh per annum.