Delhi: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) Chief N Chandrababu Naidu pressed three key demands to the central government ahead of the budget session. In the 20-minute meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on his two-day visit to Delhi, Naidu raised some budget-specific demands for the state.
According to the media reports, Naidu highlighted various ongoing projects in the state that require immediate assistance from the central government. He presented a detailed memorandum outlining Andhra’s financial requirements and the rationale behind the demand for increased allocation, as reported by PTI. While Naidu won’t be demanding ‘special status’ for the state, he is looking for the fund from centre for the redevelopment of Amravati, and the completion of the first phase of the Polavaram irrigation project. According to the Economic Times, he specifically requested short-term financial assistance for the state.
1. 15,000 crore Of Development of Amravati
One of the top demands by Naidu is Rs 15,000 crore from the centre for the development of the capital city, Amravati. He sought incentives for industrial development, additional allocation under the Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment scheme for essential sectors like roads, bridges, irrigation, and drinking water projects, support for backward regions of Andhra Pradesh similar to the Bundelkhand package, and assistance for the development of Dugarajapatnam port.
2. Polavaram Irrigation Project
The CM asked for the early release of the Centre’s arrears for the Polavaram irrigation project, demanding a sum of Rs 12,100 crore to complete the first phase of the Polavaram project. The main issue the project has been facing is cost escalation due to the frequent delays in the implementation, the increased land required and acquired for the project, and the number of persons displaced due to the project.
3. High-Debt Resolution
In the meeting, according to the ET report, Naidu highlighted that the state’s debt has increased to over Rs 13 lakh crore under the previous YSRCP government, without any infrastructural development. The public debt of Andhra Pradesh, according to the state government data has increased from 31.02 percent of the Gross State Domestic Product(GSDP) in 2019-20 to 33.32 percent in the 2023-2024 fiscal. It indicated a drop in the fiscal health of the state in the last five years.
He also discussed about issues that the state faces due to the bifurcation of the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh. After the meeting, Naidu took to X(formally Twitter), stating, “Today, I had a constructive meeting with the Hon’ble Prime Minister, Shri @narendramodi Ji, in Delhi to address important matters concerning the welfare and development of Andhra Pradesh. I am confident that under his leadership, our state will re-emerge as a powerhouse among states.”
Today, I had a constructive meeting with the Hon’ble Prime Minister, Shri @narendramodi Ji, in Delhi to address important matters concerning the welfare and development of Andhra Pradesh. I am confident that under his leadership, our State will re-emerge as a powerhouse among… pic.twitter.com/T8LJMK0DpC
— N Chandrababu Naidu (@ncbn) July 4, 2024
TDP is a key partner of the NDA-led government, with 16 Lok Sabha MPs supporting the Modi government. The budget session will be held on July 23, 2024.
