VIJAYAWADA: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy called on Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi on Tuesday and discussed various crucial issues concerning the State. During his 45-minute meeting, the CM once again appealed to Shah to accord Special Category Status (SCS) to the State and fulfil the provisions of the AP State Reorganisation Act.
Besides urging the Centre to release Rs 18,969.26 crores to fill the State’s revenue deficit, Jagan sought approval for the revised estimates of the Polavaram project. Explaining that the bifurcation had an adverse impact on service and industrial sectors, Jagan said that as a result, their share in the State economy came down to 68.2 per cent from 76.2 per cent. “We will be able to overcome all such problems and investors will look to AP instead of Chennai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru only if the State is granted SCS,’’ Jagan said.
He reminded Shah of the Centre’s assurance of discussing with the Comptroller Auditor General (CAG) to correct the revenue deficit for the year 2014-15. At the time of bifurcation, the revenue deficit was Rs 22,948.76 crore and the Centre is yet to pay Rs 18,969.26 crore to the State, he said and requested the Home Minister to issue orders to the departments concerned for the immediate release of funds. Besides seeking funds for the construction of a port at Ramayapatnam in Prakasam district, Visakhapatnam-Chennai Industrial Corridor and Petrochemical Complex at Kakinada, Jagan reminded Shah of Centre’s unfulfilled promise of setting up of a steel plant at Kadapa.
He also wanted a rise in aid being given to backward districts in the State from Rs 400 per head to Rs 4,000 per head, which people of Bundelkhand and Kalahandi are getting, by changing the criteria for allocation of funds to backward districts.
Of the Rs 2,100 crores allocated for seven backward districts in the State, so far, only `1050 crore was given by the Centre, he said and sought the release of the remaining amount.
The Chief Minister also appealed to Amit Shah to grant Rs 55,548.87 crore as per the revised cost estimates of the Polavaram project. Of the amount, land acquisition and R&R alone will cost Rs 33,000 crores, he said.
Jagan also wanted reimbursement of Rs 5,073 crore spent by the State government on the project. For this fiscal year, he sought Rs 16,000 crore for land acquisition and R&R and necessary instructions to the respective departments to release the funds as soon as possible. During his meeting, he also told the Union Home Minister how the State saved Rs 780 crore in headworks and hydroelectric project and Rs 58 crore in tunnel works of Polavaram through reverse tendering.
While underscoring the need for diversion of Godavari water to Krishna, Jagan explained to Shah that water level dropped to 456 TMCs from 1,230 TMCs in the past 52 years in the river Krishna. On the other hand, for the past 30 years, 2,780 TMCs of Godavari water remained untapped as it flowed into the sea. He urged Amit Shah to issue orders to the relevant departments to take up the project to divert Godavari floodwaters into Nagarjunasagar and Srisailam projects. The interlinking of the rivers will turn Rayalaseema and Krishna delta into prosperous regions and put an end to drinking water crisis being faced in the two areas, he explained.
Jagan Mohan Reddy took the opportunity to convey birthday greetings to Amit Shah. TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu also extended birthday greetings to Amit Shah.
Shah thanked Naidu for his wishes. It may be mentioned here that Naidu’s birthday wishes to Prime Minister Narendra Modi went unreciprocated.