Chandrababu Naidu to call on PM tomorrow to discuss state related issues

Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu is visiting New Delhi on Thursday to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other Union Ministers to discuss state-related issues.

The Chief Minister will primarily take up the issue of granting Special Category State status to Andhra Pradesh and also request the Centre to provide a special grant of over Rs 15,000 crore in the ensuing Union Budget for the period up to March 2015.

The special grant is being sought to bridge the non-plan deficit that is expected to arise because of disruption of revenue accruals due to the state's bifurcation, according to sources in the Chief Minister's Office.

In addition, a special grant of over Rs 8,600 crore would also be sought as additional Central assistance to finance critical development projects currently under execution and also meet important development needs that have arisen as a result of the bifurcation, they added.

"The Chief Minister will discuss these issues with Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. He will also raise issues like relaxing the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act, providing relief from repayment of Government of India loans, financial assistance for building the new capital city, key infrastructure projects and national institutions," a senior CMO official said.

The Chief Minister would also discuss the proposed loan waiver scheme for farmers with the Union Finance Minister.

Chandrababu would stress the need for "creating a level-playing field" for growth and development of Andhra Pradesh with "appropriate liberal financial assistance" and policy support from the Centre besides ensuring immediate commencement of various institutions (like IIT, IIM, AIIMS) and infrastructure projects that were listed in the AP Reorganisation Act-2014, the official added.

He would also discuss the Polavaram irrigation project issue with the Centre and seek enactment of a law replacing the Ordinance merging seven mandals in Bhadrachalam division, supposed to be affected by the project, with Andhra Pradesh.

Chandrababu is expected to spend two days in the national capital and meet a host of Union Ministers on various issues related to the state.