Vijayawada: While BJP leaders have been claiming that the Centre had released abundant funds to Andhra Pradesh that has been facing worst financial crisis due to bifurcation, an analysis of the data acces-sed from the Union finance ministry shows that the state has received only Rs 7,907 crore in the first three years as central assistance under the AP Reorganisation Act. This amount is in addition to the devolution of the Union’s share of the centrally-sponsored schemes.
Notably, in the last two years, not even a single rupee was released by the Centre under this law.
Of the Rs 7,907-crore, a majority of funds went into the construction of the Polavaram multi-purpose project. To bridge the resource gap, only Rs 1,176 crore was released by the department of expenditure. Whereas the state government has submitted the Centre that the revenue deficit comes to more than `16,000 crore.
Over the last three years from 2016, only Rs 450 crore was released for the construction of the new capital city Amaravati. While the then state government said it had submitted all Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) of Amaravati construction, the Centre claimed that it didn’t receive any DPRs from the Chandrababu Naidu government. The Centre claimed that it was ready to release funds for the new capital construction once the state submits DPRs.
While the Centre had pro-mised to release Rs 350 crore per annum for the development of the seven backward districts of Rayalaseema and north Andhra region, it had not released any money for these backward regions after 2016-17.
Around Rs 15 crore of payment of loan and interest for the Externally Aided Projects (EAPs) signed and disbursed during 2015-2016 to 2019-20 by the state.
For the Polavaram project, the Centre had released Rs 2,514 crore in 2016-17, Rs 2,000 crore in 2017-18 and Rs 1,400 crore in 2018-19.
“It was due to the mismanagement of relations with the Centre, sufficient funds were not released. The present government as of now is maintaining good relations with the Centre and will use its good offices to get more additional funds for the state,” said a senior YSRC leader.
