Jagan meets PM, seeks more help to AP including SCS
Prime Minister Narendra Modi being presented a memento by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy in New Delhi.
VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi here on Friday and urged him to address several issues of AP that are pending with the Centre since the state bifurcation, including Special Category Status (SCS).
In a memorandum submitted to the Prime Minister, the CM pointed out that some key issues remained unsolved despite several rounds of discussions between AP and the special committee headed by the Union finance secretary vis-a-vis the AP Reorganisation Act.
In specific, the Chief Minister urged the PM to release the pending amount of Rs 36,625 crore under the Resource Gap Funding for the 2014-15 fiscal and enhance the credit limit of Rs 17,923 crore — which was reduced from Rs 42,472crore after the Covid-19 pandemic season.
He also pleaded for reimbursement of the arrears of Rs 2,600.74 crore incurred by the state sovernment on Polavaram Project.
Jagan Mohan Reddy appealed to the Prime Minister to accept the technical advisory committee’s estimates of Rs 55,548 crore on Polavaram Project, treat the drinking water supply component as its part and parcel, and release Rs 10,000 crore immediately on ad-hoc basis to expedite the construction and for paying the compensation to the displaced persons.
Referring to the SCS promise by the Center to AP, Jagan said the Centre made the promise at the time of the state bifurcation. The promise remains unfulfilled. SCS would help AP get central grants and tax concessions in more ways, he said.
The Chief Minister hoped that apart from large-scale industries, the service sector will also expand once SCS is granted to AP. “SCS will help the state move towards self-reliance,” he said and appealed to the Centre to grant this to AP without further delay.
Regarding the pending clearances for a dozen medical colleges, the CM said, “We made 13 districts into 26 districts. But, including the three newly sanctioned medical colleges, there are only 14 in total. I request that permission be granted to the remaining 12 colleges as soon as possible. The work related to these colleges is progressing fast. I request the Centre to provide appropriate assistance in this regard.”
Jagan requested for speedy central steps to ensure that the Telangana government cleared its dues of Rs 7,058 crore outstanding from the TS Discoms to the APGENCO for the power supplied between 2014 and 2017.
The Chief Minister told PM Modi that the state has so far incurred a financial burden of Rs 5,527 crore on supply of ration to 56 lakh families under the PMGKAY due to irrational selection of beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act. To compensate this, unused ration stocks should be allotted to AP as recommended by NITI Aayog, he said.
Jagan Mohan Reddy further recalled that the Centre has promised to set up a steel plant in the YSR Kadapa district, as per the AP Reorganisation Act. He urged the Centre to allot the required mines to APMDC to cater to the raw material needs of the steel plant in YSR Kadapa district.
