VIJAYAWADA: A delegation from Andhra Pradesh, led by YSRC Parliamentary Party leader V Vijayasai Reddy and Finance Minister Buggana Rajendranath, held discussions with a committee of secretaries, headed by Union Finance Secretary TV Somanathan, in New Delhi on Thursday for more than two hours with regard to several issues pertaining to the State.
It was a follow-up meeting at the secretary level after Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy met Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier this week. Several issues, including Polavaram Irrigation Project and dues from Telangana power utilities were discussed.Briefing mediapersons later, Vijayasai Reddy said the meeting was a continuation of the one with the committee held earlier.“We discussed several issues as a follow-up to CM Jagan’s meeting with PM Modi at the ministerial and secretary level and there has been a positive response from the Centre to the issues raised by AP,” Vijayasai Reddy said.
The issue of regularising the overborrowing made during the 14th Finance Commission, when Chandrababu Naidu was Chief Minister of the State, was discussed.The power dues to the tune of Rs 6,600 crore from Telangana also came up for discussion. There was a positive response from the committee with regard to resource gap funding. “Issues pertaining to Polavaram project and No Objection Certificate for Bhogapuram airport were also discussed at length,” the YSRC MP said.
He said as everyone was aware of the injustice done to AP during bifurcation, justice to the State was sought with regard to the national food security (ration cards). “Post bifurcation, the Civil Supplies Corporation was shifted to Andhra Pradesh. We took up the issue of Telangana share of borrowing by the corporation and transferring the same to that State. Telangana too has agreed to it in principle,” he said.
Allotment of iron ore mines to Kadapa steel plant also came up for discussion during the meeting, the YSRC MP added.