YSR Congress party president and Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Thursday requested the Centre to resolve several pending issues pertaining to the state, including investment clearance to Polavaram major irrigation project on Godavari river, which was declared as national project.
Jagan, who left for New Delhi on a two-day visit in the morning, had an hour-long meeting with Union home minister Amit Shah late in the evening and discussed with him various issues about the state. Senior party leaders including YSRC parliamentary party leader V Vijay Sai Reddy were also present in the meeting.
Though what transpired between Jagan and the Union home minister was not known immediately, a YSRCP leader familiar with the development said apart from various issues pending with the Centre for the last one year, Jagan also took up with Shah the recent controversy over the arrest of rebel parliament member K Raghurama Krishnam Raju in a sedition case.
Raju, who got bail from Supreme Court, has been staying put in New Delhi for the last 10 days and writing letters to various Central ministers, MPs, and even governors and chief ministers of various states, accusing the Jagan government of misusing the sedition law.
He also alleged that he was subjected to torture during the custody by the Andhra Pradesh Crime Investigation Department (CID) police, for filing a petition in the CBI court seeking cancellation of bail given to Jagan in 2013 in the alleged quid pro quo case being probed by the CBI.
{{/usCountry}}He also alleged that he was subjected to torture during the custody by the Andhra Pradesh Crime Investigation Department (CID) police, for filing a petition in the CBI court seeking cancellation of bail given to Jagan in 2013 in the alleged quid pro quo case being probed by the CBI.
{{/usCountry}}“Jagan presented his version to the Union home minister and explained to him how Raju was interfering in the CBI inquiry into the alleged quid pro quo case pending against him,” the YSRC leader quoted above said.
In the evening, Jagan met the union minister for jal Shakti Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and discussed with him the progress of the Polavaram major irrigation project. He sought approval to investment clearance for the Polavaram project for ₹55,656 crore, as recommended by Polavaram Project Authority and Central Water Commission, so that project works including land acquisition and R&R can be completed as per schedule by June 2022.
He also requested the Central minister to consider the water supply component as an integral part of the irrigation component of the Polavaram project. He asked to shift the headquarters of PPA from Hyderabad to Rajahmundry.
Earlier, the chief minister also met union environment minister Prakash Javadekar and requested him to resolve certain issues in granting environmental clearances regarding the Polavaram project.