Centre okays AP’s proposal to interlink its rivers, involve Singapore

Vijayawada:The centre has agreed to AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu's proposal on interlinking Godavari and Pennar rivers in Andhra Pradesh and reviving Singapore's partnership in construction of the capital city at Amaravati, besides completing Polavaram project at a fast pace.

These developments follow the CM’s visit to the national capital on Friday evening and his meetings with union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman and external affairs minister S. Jaishankar.

Briefing media persons about the Chief Minister’s interactions, Telugu Desam MP Lavu Krishnadevarayalu said the centre has green signalled the interlinking of Godavari and Pennar rivers, as this is crucial for the development of the backward Rayalaseema region and the combined Prakasam district.

The union finance minister has agreed to extend all cooperation to the state in completing the Polavaram project, the MP said.

He pointed out that when Chandrababu Naidu met the external affairs minister, the latter agreed to revive Singapore’s participation in developing Amaravati as the capital city of Andhra Pradesh.

Both the Chief Minister and Jaishankar discussed at length the impact of the newly-elected administration in the United States on the economy of India and the visit of Indian students to the US for pursuing their higher studies.

Krishnadevarayalu disclosed that as Vijayawada city had recently suffered huge damage following heavy rains, Chandrababu Naidu had appealed to the union finance minister to relax GST by one per cent to which Sitharaman consented.