Andhra Pradesh seeks ₹55,548.87 crore from centre for Polavaram project

Vijayawada: Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has called on Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman and power minister R.K. Singh on Thursday and discussed with them various issues relating to Andhra Pradesh.

The CM told Sitharaman that the Technical Advisory Committee of Polavaram project has accepted the revised estimates of ₹55,548.87 crore for the project.

He urged her to ensure that the Union Cabinet clears this estimate.

Jagan Mohan Reddy reminded her that the Union government had agreed to release ₹12, 911.15 crore after completion of Polavaram Project’s first phase. But as per the Lidar survey, the Centre should release the revised amount of ₹17,144 crore for implementing the R&R package for the project-affected people in 36 colonies.

The Chief Minister requested Sitharaman to reimburse the arrears of ₹1,310.15 crore incurred by the state government from its exchequer on Polavaram project. He further appealed to her to take effective steps to ensure that the Telangana government clears ₹7,359 crore, which is outstanding from TS power distribution companies for power supplied between 2014 and 2017.

Incidentally, on August 29, 2022, the Centre had directed Telangana government to pay these dues to AP. But TS moved High Court on the matter.

Jagan Mohan Reddy also called on Union power minister R.K. Singh with regard to power sector and electricity reforms.  Singh said the central government will fund the RDS Revamp Distribution Sector Scheme being implemented in AP.
MP P. Mithun Reddy, Rajya Sabha member V. Vijayasai Reddy and AP chief secretary Dr. K.S. Jawahar Reddy accompanied the CM.

On Friday, the Chief Minister will attend the review meeting of the Centre on left wing extremism in Vigyan Bhavan.

Jagan Mohan Reddy is likely to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah.