Naidu meets FM Sitharaman, seeks financial aid for debt-ridden AP
By : MD Ilyas
Update: 2024-07-05 09:11 GMT
VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu met Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman and appealed to her to support the “debt-burdened” state and provide financial support for its major projects.
Naidu, on a visit to the national capital, urged the Central government to allocate funds for Polavaram and Amaravati as well as special funds for the backward areas.
Ahead of the Union Budget presentation, the Chief Minister met Sitharaman to seek enhanced financial support to the state. Naidu also met defence minister Rajnath Singh and health minister J.P. Nadda.
Sources said Naidu, during the meeting in North Block, highlighted various ongoing projects in Andhra Pradesh that required central assistance. "The CM presented a detailed memorandum outlining the state's financial requirements and the rationale behind the demand for increased allocation," the sources said.
The Telugu Desam ministers at the Centre were present in the meeting.
Naidu explained that according to the state government data, the public debt of AP has increased from 31.02 per cent of the GSDP in 2019-20 to 33.32 per cent in the 2023-24 fiscal.
Key among the CM’s requests were funds for the Polavaram irrigation project, special assistance for backward regions, and financial support for development of the new capital, Amaravati.
The CM also sought resolution of the pending issues stemming from the 2014 bifurcation.
Sitharaman gave a patient hearing to Naidu's concerns and promised the CM that she would look into the proposals but within the broader fiscal constraints.
Meanwhile, after completion of the two-day Delhi tour, the Chief Minister said, ”For five years, we will work with the aim of restructuring the state as there was irreparable damage to AP in the last five years. AP has rich resources. Miracles can be achieved with the interlinking of rivers, and if so, all the southern states can be supplied with water from Godavari.”
“The main objective of our government is to restore the capital to its former glory by establishing 135 government offices in Amaravati. We are providing the necessary infrastructure for the capital. We will complete everything including the iconic buildings there. Priority will be given to those that are under construction now.”
The CM said, “Instead of a caste census, a skill census will be done in AP. The guidelines for skill calculation will be released soon.”
Naidu affirmed, “We will attend the Davos Investment Conference. All the circles are asking me, what if Jagan comes into power again. We have controlled the devil (Jagan). Hence there will be no more trouble. We would create wealth by investing in human resources. We provide employment with short, medium and long-term goals," he said.
Naidu made it clear that the TD did not expect more posts from the Centre. He recalled that A.B. Vajpayee had offered seven posts but “we did not accept seven ministerial posts. We took the post of Speaker and even now we are happy with the two ministerial posts given by the NDA.”
Naidu, on a visit to the national capital, urged the Central government to allocate funds for Polavaram and Amaravati as well as special funds for the backward areas.
Ahead of the Union Budget presentation, the Chief Minister met Sitharaman to seek enhanced financial support to the state. Naidu also met defence minister Rajnath Singh and health minister J.P. Nadda.
Sources said Naidu, during the meeting in North Block, highlighted various ongoing projects in Andhra Pradesh that required central assistance. "The CM presented a detailed memorandum outlining the state's financial requirements and the rationale behind the demand for increased allocation," the sources said.
The Telugu Desam ministers at the Centre were present in the meeting.
Naidu explained that according to the state government data, the public debt of AP has increased from 31.02 per cent of the GSDP in 2019-20 to 33.32 per cent in the 2023-24 fiscal.
Key among the CM’s requests were funds for the Polavaram irrigation project, special assistance for backward regions, and financial support for development of the new capital, Amaravati.
The CM also sought resolution of the pending issues stemming from the 2014 bifurcation.
Sitharaman gave a patient hearing to Naidu's concerns and promised the CM that she would look into the proposals but within the broader fiscal constraints.
Meanwhile, after completion of the two-day Delhi tour, the Chief Minister said, ”For five years, we will work with the aim of restructuring the state as there was irreparable damage to AP in the last five years. AP has rich resources. Miracles can be achieved with the interlinking of rivers, and if so, all the southern states can be supplied with water from Godavari.”
“The main objective of our government is to restore the capital to its former glory by establishing 135 government offices in Amaravati. We are providing the necessary infrastructure for the capital. We will complete everything including the iconic buildings there. Priority will be given to those that are under construction now.”
The CM said, “Instead of a caste census, a skill census will be done in AP. The guidelines for skill calculation will be released soon.”
Naidu affirmed, “We will attend the Davos Investment Conference. All the circles are asking me, what if Jagan comes into power again. We have controlled the devil (Jagan). Hence there will be no more trouble. We would create wealth by investing in human resources. We provide employment with short, medium and long-term goals," he said.
Naidu made it clear that the TD did not expect more posts from the Centre. He recalled that A.B. Vajpayee had offered seven posts but “we did not accept seven ministerial posts. We took the post of Speaker and even now we are happy with the two ministerial posts given by the NDA.”