Congress to intensify stir on Andhra Pradesh special status issue

Vijayawada: The state unit of Congress here on Saturday decided to intensify its agitation on the issue of special status for Andhra Pradesh from Monday.

The decision was taken at the executive committee meeting of Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee under president N Raghuveera Reddy's chairmanship.

C Ramachandraih, the party's floor leader in Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council told reporters about the resolutions passed during the executive committee meeting.

"The party would intensify the agitation. The stir would be taken in a phased manner from November 9 till the end of the month over our demand to the Centre to accord special status," he said.

Centre should implement all promises made in the AP Re-organisation Act, he added.

"In another resolution, the party condemned the attitude of NDA Government for its attempt to undermine the contributions made by the country's first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru," Ramachandraih said.

Congress would take up a campaign on November 14, the birth anniversary of Jawaharlal Nehru, at all the district headquarters, to focus on his contribution to the nation before and after the independence.

He said that on that day, a large scale public meeting would be conducted by the party at Guntur.

In another resolution, the party demanded that the state government fulfilled all promises made by the TDP during last general elections.

"The party feels that the TDP government failed to implement the crop loan waiver to all farmers as well as women under the Development of Women and Children in Rural Areas (DWACRA) scheme," he said.