Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Wednesday called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and sought his intervention in resolving several outstanding issues that have remained unattended for the past eight years after the bifurcation of the state.
In a nearly 50-minute meeting held at Modi’s Lok Kalyan Marg residence here, Reddy said there was “no progress” in resolving the outstanding issues despite assurances given by the Center in Parliament and several meetings held by a special committee headed by official the declaration shall be made by the Union Financial Secretary.
The Chief Minister informed the Prime Minister that a huge amount of Rs 32,625.25 crore, including funding sources of Rs 18,330.45 crore for tax and pension arrears due to the State in 2014-15, was pending and urged him to immediately sped up.
He further explained that the finance ministry is imposing a number of restrictions on the Andhra Pradesh government on its permitted borrowings, while adjusting loans made by the previous Telugu Desam Party (TDP) regime, which borrowed above the limits.
“The YSRCP government is now facing several restrictions due to the grievances of the TDP regime,” he said, stressing the need for Modi to step in and remove these restrictions.
Reddy made it clear that the state would suffer a lot financially if the restrictions continue unabated, especially as the country is set to battle a new variant of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister also sought early approval of the revised cost estimate of the Polavaram project at Rs 55,548.87 crore.
Apart from not yet repaying the Rs 2,937.92 crore the government had spent on the project from its own revenue, the Center also wrongly decided to handle the drinking water supply system separately from the project, he complained to the Prime Minister. the decision has not been applied to any other irrigation project that has national status.
Reddy appealed to Modi to end the policy of handling the project cost component by component as it escalates the overall project cost besides causing delays and difficulties in bill payments. He also appealed to the Prime Minister to immediately release Rs 10,485.38 crore ad hoc to start land acquisition and start rescue and rehabilitation work of displaced families in view of efforts to raise the height of the dam to 41.15 meters.
In addition, Reddy discussed concerns related to the National Food Security Act, seeking approval for 12 more medical colleges and allotment of ore and beach sand mining areas to the state-owned Andhra Pradesh Mineral Development Corporation (APMDC). The Chief Minister assured the Prime Minister that his state is ready to face the emerging threat of BF-7 Covid.
Later, Reddy also met Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav. He is scheduled to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah later in the evening. The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister met Modi several times during the year and reiterated the above demands.
