Centre should release 1.16 lakh cr to AP: Chandrababu Naidu

Amaravati: Demanding release of at least Rs 1.16 lakh crore towards fulfillment of promises made to Andhra Pradesh at various occasions by the Central government, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu wrote a 17-page letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday.

In his letter, explaining the detailed commitments made by the then Prime Minister during the bifurcation of the State in Rajya Sabha and the promises made under the AP Reorganization Act, Naidu demanded that the Centre should provide the Special Category Status (SCS)to Andhra Pradesh immediately.

A sum of Rs 12,099 crore should to be released under PM’s assurance for resource gap, as per the CAG certified deficit of Rs 16,078 crore. As promised financial support for new capital under Section 94 (3) (4) of the Reorganisation Act, the Central government has to release at least Rs 61,123 crore for construction of Amaravati, for which Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) worth Rs 62,623 crore had already been submitted by the State government, he said.

The other funds which need to be released are follows: As per the PM’s assurance and section 46 (2) (3), the State has to get special development package to a tune of Rs 23,300 crore. The State government submitted proposals to a tune of Rs 34,350 crore in October 2014, on par with Bundelkhand model.

A sum of Rs 16,447 crore, need to be released as difference in share of Centrally-sponsored schemes at 90 per cent instead of 60 per cent for 5 years, under PM’s assurance for Special Category Status.

For construction of Polavaram Project, the Central government has to reimburse an amount of Rs 3,722 crore so far, which was spent from the State exchequer after announcing the project as a national project.

Explaining all these, Naidu mentioned that so far the Central government released only just Rs 14,259 crore to the State under various provisions of the AP Reorganisation Act-2014, which was a meagre amount forcing the State government into deep troubles.

In his letter, Naidu also mentioned the findings of Jana Sena Party president Pawan Kalyan constituted Fact Finding Committee, which said that the Centre should release a sum of Rs 74,542 crore to AP by February 2018.

Naidu also mentioned the remarks of an Independent Group of Experts constituted by Foundation for Democratic Reforms in which former High Court Judges and retired IAS officials were members.

The State government also demanded release of backward districts grant for two financial years, worth Rs 700 crore, which was pending. The Chief Minister said that a sum of Rs 12,825 crore was required for construction of 11 Central institutions, which have been functioning on a temporary basis. The Central government is yet to set up an agricultural university, he pointed out.

Naidu also mentioned about the establishment of Dugarajapatnam Port, integrated steel plant in Kadapa, petroleum complex in Kakinada, Vizag Chennai industrial corridor, expanding of existing Vizag, Vijayawada and Tirupati airports to international standards, establishing new railway zone, rapid road and rail connectivity from capital, metro rail in Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada, government companies and corporations and others.
He also explained about the unresolved issues between the Telangana and AP States as per the Act.