Budget 2014: No commitment on funds, special status for Andhra Pradesh

New Delhi: The absence of any commitment on financial package and the special category status for AP in the Budget speech was disappointing.

Andhra Pradesh would get an AIIMS, an IIT and an agricultural university besides setting up of National Academy for Customs & Excise at Hindupur in Rayalaseema region.

The Budget also allotted Rs 500 crore for setting up of an ultra solar mega power plant project in the state along with four other states.

Mr Jaitley also announced that Kakinada and its adjoining areas and the port in East Godavari district will be developed as the key drivers of economic growth in the region with a special focus on hardware manufacturing.

While announcing the new AIIMS in four states, Mr Jaitley announced Rs 500 crore for the purpose and allotted another Rs 500 crore for setting up of five more IITs in Jammu, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala.

“It is also proposed to establish Agriculture Universities in Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan and Horticulture Universities in Telangana and Haryana. An initial sum of Rs 200 crore has been allocated for this purpose,” the minister said in his speech.

The Budget also announced that a new smart city would come up in Krishnapatnam in Nellore on the Chennai-Bengaluru Industrial Corridor region.

“My government is committed to addressing the issues relating to development of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana in the AP Re-organisation Act, 2014. Provision has been made by various ministries/departments to fulfill the obligation of Union government for both the states,” the minister said.

The minister said the perspective plan for the Bengaluru-Mumbai Economic corridor (BMEC) and Vizag-Chennai corridor would be completed with the provision for 20 new industrial clusters.