Andhra Pradesh CM raises Polavaram, SCS issues at 29th Southern Zonal Council meet

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has raised the issues of Polavaram, Special Category Status and other promises made during the state bifurcation at the 29th Southern Zonal Council meeting held here on Sunday.

Speaking at the meeting, chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the Chief Minister sought the Centre's help in keeping up the promises made during State division, those in the Act and those issued in the Parliament.

The Chief Minister said, "even after seven years of bifurcation, the majority of the commitments remain unfulfilled and Andhra Pradesh continues to face immense economic hardships and deprivation."

Reddy has sought that full funding be provided for the Polavaram project and the completion of the project by the Centre be ensured in line with the letter and spirit of the provisions of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Act, 2014.

He also requested to accord "Special Category Status to the state."

The Chief Minister said the total resource gap for the first financial year after state bifurcation is Rs 22,948.76 crores.

However, the Central Government has subsequently introduced a new concept of "Standardized Expenditure" and conveyed that their liability to compensate the State is only to the tune of Rs. 4,117.89 crores, he said.

He has sought the Centre's intervention for settlement of the power dues between the two States and added that an amount of Rs 6,112Cr is receivable by Andhra Pradesh Power Generation Corporation Limited from the Telangana distribution utilities.

Speaking further, the Chief Minister said the State government has been supplying water at the Tamil Nadu border as and when requested by the Tamil Nadu government to meet the drinking water needs of Chennai city.

Of the compensation required to be paid for infrastructure and cost associated with operation and maintenance, an amount of Rs 338.48 crores has been pending for the past 10 years and requested that suitable steps be taken to settle this amount at the earliest.

Tamil Nadu government has been opposing Palaru project and added that only 0.6 TMC of water will be stored in the project and provide drinking water to Kuppum, Reddy said.

The Chief Minister has requested the Centre to fulfil the other assurances such as completion of 8 infrastructure projects, the full-fledged establishment of 11 institutions of national importance under Schedule XIII of the Act by 2024.

( With inputs from ANI )

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