YSRC raises flood assistance issue in all-party meeting
VIJAYAWADA: The YSRC has urged the Centre to extend immediate financial assistance to Andhra Pradesh, which is reeling under unprecedented Godavari floods. The state has incurred heavy property and crop loss due to the floods, it said.
YSRC Parliamentary Party leader V Vijayasai Reddy and floor leader in the Lok Sabha PV Midhun Reddy on Sunday attended the all-party meeting convened by the Centre to formulate a strategy to address the concerns of the Opposition during the upcoming monsoon session of Parliament.
Briefing the media about the demands put up by the YSRC before the Centre at the all-party meeing, Vijayasai Reddy said the Godavari floods have left a tail of destruction in the villages abutting the river in four districts.
“The floods have resulted in damage to property and crops. Hundreds of villages are under water. The State government has taken up rescue, relief and rehabilitation operations on a massive scale. We have apprised the Centre of the relief operations,’’ he said.
On other issues, Vijayasai Reddy said they have asked the Centre to extend the GST compensation by five more years in view of the precarious financial situation of the State due to the Covid-19 pandemic. “Only five States have recorded revenues over the Projected Revenue Growth of the 31 States and Union Territories and there is a need to extend GST compensation to the State for another five years,’’ he said.
Vijayasai Reddy said the Centre is showing step-motherly attitude towards Andhra Pradesh by not granting the Special Category Status as promised in Parliament. “Apart from this, we have also brought to the notice of the Centre the inordinate delay in release of assistance for the Polavaram irrigation project. which is leading to delay in project execution,’’ he said.
The YSRC also raised the issue of delay in setting up of Railway Zone and also sought the reasons for the delay in granting permissions to the international airport at Bhogapuram and Integrated Steel Plant at Kadapa.