AP CM Jagan Reddy meets Modi; discusses Polavaram project, state issues

The chief minister assured the prime minister that his state is ready to face the emerging the BF-7 Covid threat.Later, Reddy also met Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Wednesday called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and sought his intervention in resolving several pending issues that have remained unattended for the last eight years following bifurcation of the state. In the nearly 50 minute-long meeting held at Modi's residence at Lok Kalyan Marg here, Reddy said there has been ''no progress'' in resolving the pending issues despite assurances given by the Centre in Parliament and several meetings held by a special committee headed by the Union finance secretary, an official statement said. The chief minister informed the prime minister that a huge amount of Rs 32,625.25 crore, including resource funding of Rs 18,330.45 crore for the 2014-15 fiscal and pension arrears payable to the state, has been pending, and appealed him to expedite it immediately.

He further explained that the Ministry of Finance has been imposing a plethora of restrictions on the Andhra Pradesh government on its permitted borrowings while adjusting the loans made by the previous Telugu Desam Party (TDP) regime which had borrowed beyond the limits.

''The YSRCP government has been facing several restrictions now for the wrongs of the TDP regime,'' he said, stressing the need for Modi to intervene and do away with the restrictions. Reddy made it clear that the state would suffer a lot financially if the restrictions continue unabated, especially at a time when the country is set to fight the new variant of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Andhra Pradesh chief minister also sought early approval of the revised cost estimate of the Polavaram project pegged at Rs 55,548.87 crore. Apart from not reimbursing the Rs 2,937.92 crore spent by the state government on the project from its own revenues so far, the Centre has also wrongly chosen to treat the drinking water supply system separately from the project, he complained to the prime minister, saying such a decision has not been applied to any other irrigation project which has got a national status. Reddy appealed to Modi to do away with the policy of treating the project cost component-wise as it is escalating the total project cost besides causing delay and difficulties in reimbursement of the bills. He also appealed to the PM to release Rs 10,485.38 crore immediately on ad hoc basis to begin land acquisition and take up the works of relief and rehabilitation of families displaced in view of the efforts to increase the height of the dam to 41.15 metres. Besides this, Reddy discussed concerns related to the National Food Security Act, while demanding nod for 12 more medical colleges and allocation of mine ore and beach sand mineral areas to state-run Andhra Pradesh Mineral Development Corporation (APMDC). The chief minister assured the prime minister that his state is ready to face the emerging the BF-7 Covid threat.

Later, Reddy also met Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav. He is scheduled to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah later in the evening.

The Andhra Pradesh chief minister has met Modi several times during the year, reiterating the above mentioned demands.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)