VIJAYAWADA: Andhra Pradesh Planning Board vice-chairperson C Kutumba Rao said that the BJP’s allegations against the State government have fallen flat with the Niti Aayog suggesting the Centre to deposit the Rs 350 crore it took back after depositing the same in the State government’s account.
In its report, he said, the Niti Aayog submitted to Central Expenditure department recommended to pay Rs 700 crore to the State government for seven backward district development fund for two years.
Speaking to mediapersons in Hyderabad, he said after depositing Rs 350 crore in the State government’s account on February 15 this year, the Centre took back the same. BJP leaders like GVL Narasimha Rao and Kanna Lakshminarayana levelled charges against the State government on non- production of Utilisation Certificates as cause for the same.
But, Niti Aayog officials on November 30 expressed satisfaction over the UCs on expenditure of the funds towards development of backward districts. After learning that out of Rs 1,050 crore received from the Centre for three years, the Andhra Pradesh government submitted UCs to a tune of Rs 1,049.34 crore, the Niti Aayog recommended the Centre to release funds along with the pending Rs 350 crore to AP, he said. He also demanded the Centre to sanction Rs 700 crore along with interest for delaying the release of the same. BJP doesn’t have 0.1 per cent vote bank in the State, he alleged.