YSR Congress party president and Andhra Pradesh chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Saturday appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to release ₹40,000 crore from the Centre towards grant-in-aid.
In an hour-and-a-half long meeting with Modi, the chief minister presented a long list of demands. He also invited the Prime Minister for the launch of his government’s flagship scheme YSR Rythu Bharosa, a crop investment support scheme, at Nellore on October 15.
Jagan reminded the PM that the previous government in its vote-on-account budget, presented in February this year, had estimated release of ₹61,071 crore from the Centre towards grant-in-aid for various schemes.
“Our government also mentioned the same in our full-fledged budget for 2019-20. However, the Centre has so far released only ₹6,739 crore. We need to clear pending bills worth ₹50,000 crore for various works done by the previous government. So, we request the Centre to release at least ₹40,000 crore for the development of the state,” the chief minister said in his representation to Modi.
He also pointed out that the Comptroller and Auditor General of India had estimated the revenue deficit of the state at the time of bifurcation of combined Andhra Pradesh at ₹22,948.76 crore.
{{/usCountry}}He also pointed out that the Comptroller and Auditor General of India had estimated the revenue deficit of the state at the time of bifurcation of combined Andhra Pradesh at ₹22,948.76 crore.
{{/usCountry}}“So far, the Centre released only ₹3,979 crore and is yet to release the remaining ₹18,969 crore. The officials of the state government discussed with the PMO on August 23 this year on this issue and the PMO authorities responded positively to the request for revising the calculations of revenue deficit. So, the Centre has to release this amount to the state at the earliest,” he said.
Jagan explained to the Prime Minister in detail as to why his government had to go in for reverse tendering in the execution of Polavaram irrigation and hydro power projects and how it had saved ₹838 crore through the exercise.
He requested the Prime Minister to see that the revised project estimates of ₹55,548 crore be approved, apart from releasing ₹5,103 crore spent by the state from its own funds on Polavaram project and another ₹16,000 crore to speed up the project works including rehabilitation and resettlement of evacuees.
The Andhra chief minister also discussed with the Prime Minister in detail the proposed joint project with Telangana on diversion of Godavari waters to Krishna basin to provide irrigation to the parched lands of drought-hit Rayalaseema. “This will turnaround the economy of the state and the Centre should issue directions to the officials concerned to expedite the proposal,” he said.
The other demands put forth by Jagan before the Prime Minister include: release of the balance amount of ₹1050 crore towards special package for development of backward areas on the lines of Bundelkhand and Kalahandi areas; construction of steel plant at Kadapa and port at Ramayampatnam, release of funds for Visakhapatnam-Chennai industrial corridor and Kakinada Petroleum Complex; financial assistance to Navaratnalu, the nine welfare schemes of the state government and granting of special category status to AP to boost industrial investments in the state.