Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister K. Pawan Kalyan met several Union ministers on day 2 of his visit to New Delhi on Tuesday, seeking funds to meet the development needs of AP, apart from resolving issues that have remained pending with the centre.
In his meeting with Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, he brought up the Andhra Pradesh Rural Roads Project supported by the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. Pawan Kalyan requested her to restructure the centre-state funding pattern in the ratio 90:10 while continuing the Rs 455 million funding. He pointed out that the project is vital for enhancing rural connectivity and driving infrastructure development across the state. He wanted her to extend the project timeline to December 2026.
The Deputy CM met Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and sought immediate release of Rs 250 crore for development of Gandikota, Akhanda Godavari and Suryalanka Beach projects. “Releasing funds for these three tourist locations will enable the state government to develop these sites with all essential amenities, attracting tourists not only from AP but also other states of India and from abroad,” he told Shekhawat.
Officials said the union minister responded positively and assured that the centre will provide the necessary assistance to develop tourism projects in Andhra Pradesh. Further, under the Prasad scheme, Pawan Kalyan asked the centre to develop Arasavalli and Mangalagiri temples, which would boost religious tourism in north Andhra and Amaravati regions. Significant number of devotees and tourists visiting the two places will enhance livelihood opportunities for locals, improving the quality of their life.
Additionally, he requested the centre to extend Rs 80 crore for construction of a state-of-the-art Tourism Bhavan in Amaravati. This apart, he wanted the union government to establish the National Tourism University in Andhra Pradesh, as the state is an ideal location for such an institution.
During his meeting with Jal Shakti minister C.R. Paatil, Pawan Kalyan informed him about findings of a survey report, which points out that 29.79 lakh households in the state do not have tap water supply, while 2.27 lakh taps are non-functional and nearly 24,000 taps do not provide adequate water supply.
Against this backdrop, the Deputy CM highlighted the urgent need to prioritise long-term sustainable water resource projects over borewells to ensure reliable water supply across the state. Furthermore, he said the state requires Rs 70,000 crore to ensure safe and sustainable drinking water for all rural households to fully realise the vision of Har Ghar Jal.
Pawan Kalyan met railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, requesting him to halt key trains at Pithapuram railway station, benefiting devotees visiting the Sri Pada Sri Vallabha Swamy Temple. He requested Vaishnaw to run a direct train from Latur in Maharashtra to Tirupati, fulfilling election promises made to people during the recent Maharashtra assembly elections. The Deputy Chief Minister also met Union Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan as well as Union Panchayat Raj Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh.
