Polavaram arrears to 77k tonne rice: Jagan meets PM Modi, submits wish list

New Delhi: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy held an hour-long meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi.

During the meeting, AP CM raised several pertinent issues including Special Category Status for AP, assistance for the completion of the Polavaram project, and immediate disbursement of state funds and pending arrears.

Making a special appeal for the fulfillment of promises made by the Centre during state bifurcation, CM Jagan requested PM Modi to intervene in the reimbursement of pending electricity arrears from Telangana DISCOMs. Besides, CM Jagan also discussed amendments to the National Food Security Act, allotment of 12 medical colleges, iron ore sanctions, and metro rail development in Visakhapatnam.

Jagan raised several issues with PM Modi.

Special Status for AP:

Jagan requested PM Modi to sanction Special Class Status for Andhra Pradesh, something that had been promised during the state's bifurcation 8 years ago. He reiterated that Special Class Status was necessary for the state since it had suffered badly due to partition. He said that promises that were made by the Central government in the Parliament should be fulfilled.

Polavaram Project:

In connection with the Polavaram project, AP CM brought to PM Modi's notice that the Centre had not yet reimbursed ₹2,937.92 crore to the state govt which it had spent from its funds in the last two years. CM appealed to the PM to disburse these funds immediately.

AP CM reminded PM Modi that the technical advisory committee had already approved the cost of ₹55,548 crore for the entire project, yet the state hadn't received it. Moreover, CM Jagan requested that the construction cost of the project should not be looked at component-wise as it would not just increase the cost of construction but also further delay the whole project.

Jagan appealed that the supply of drinking water is included as a part of the project. Apart from the above details, AP CM apprised PM Modi that the state govt was providing immediate benefits to the families affected by the Polavaram project and that affected families were being moved up to a height of 41.15 meters, which cost the state approximately ₹10,485.38 crore. He stated that if money is sanctioned immediately, work would progress rapidly. He added that work related to land acquisition and R&R would be completed at the earliest post-disbursement of funds.

Unresolved state bifurcation issues:

AP CM reiterated that 8 years after the bifurcation of the state, most of the issues mentioned in the Partition Act had not yet been fulfilled and still many issues between Andhra Pradesh & Telangana remained unresolved.

Pending arrears worth ₹32,625 crore:

CM Jagan also raised the demand to remunerate pending arrears under resource gap funding for the financial year 2014-15. He brought to notice that bills worth ₹18,330.45 crore for 2014-15; 10th Pay Commission arrears; funds for pensions, etc amounting to ₹32,625.25 crore had been pending for a long time. CM Jagan requested PM Modi to release these funds at the earliest.

Electricity arrears from Telangana DISCOMS:

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister also asked Prime Minister Modi to intervene in clearing electricity dues of ₹6,886 crore due from Telangana DISCOMs. CM said that these dues were necessary for the smooth & effective functioning of AP GENCO.

National Food Security Act:

AP CM also highlighted to the PM that 56 lakh eligible families in the state were not getting benefits under PMGKAY due to restrictions posed in National Food Security Act. He mentioned that it was the state government that was providing subsidized ration for these families at the cost of around ₹5,527 crore. CM Jagan suggested that out of the 3 lakh tonne of excessive rice that is stored by the Centre monthly if only 77,000 tonne is allocated to Andhra Pradesh, the state would benefit highly.

Restrictions on Borrowings:

AP CM sought PM Modi's intervention in the restrictions imposed by the Finance Ministry on the state's borrowing limit. He highlighted how the Union finance department had imposed a limit on loans & state borrowings on AP as it had taken into account the extensive loans taken by the previous government. AP CM requested that the current YSRCP Government should not be made to bear the consequences of the mistakes of the previous TDP regime. He added that in dire situations like COVID-19, such restrictions would hurt the state significantly.

Development of 12 medical colleges:

AP CM told PM Modi that as of today approximately 18 lakh people living across 26 districts had access to only 14 medical colleges. CM Jagan requested PM Modi to sanction the development of medical colleges in the remaining 12 districts immediately.

Allocation of mines for Kadapa Steel Plant:

AP CM also appealed to the PM to allocate additional iron ore mines to APMDC to ensure the availability of enough iron for the steel plant to be built in Kadapa.

Metro Rail in Visakhapatnam:

Towards the end of the meeting, AP CM raised the issue of the establishment of a 76.9 km metro rail in Visakhapatnam and sought necessary support for the same. He mentioned how a detailed report had already been submitted to the Centre.