Andhra seeks Rs 25.69 Cr from Centre for SPOs honorarium; wants 800 additional posts

Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha sought Rs 25.69 crore from the Centre for the honorarium paid to the special police officials (SPOs).

Anitha on Monday participated in the meeting chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah that focussed on Leftwing extremism, It was attended by the Chief Ministers, Home Ministers, Chief Secretaries, and the Directors General of Police (DGPs) of the Maoist-affected States held at the Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi.

Later, she told media persons that she also appealed to the Union Home Minister to sanction 800 posts of SPOs to boost the fight against Leftwing extremism in the state.

She also five Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) companies have been moved out of the state to perform other duties. She sought the reinduction of the companies in the meeting.

Anitha informed the Union Home Minister that of the 346 mobile towers sanctioned to the State by the Centre under Mobile Tower Project Phase-II, work is going on in 211 towers. She stressed the need to take up the works of the other 53 towers on a war footing basis.

Anitha said that proposals have been submitted to the Centre about the construction of 1455.23 km long roads and bridges in the extremist-affected areas. "We are expecting necessary orders on this very soon," she added.

Andhra Home Minister also stated that 526 acres of land have already been identified at Relli in Kothavalasa mandal for setting up a Greyhounds training center and said that the issue of this project clearance is also discussed at the meeting.

The State Home Minister said that under the leadership of Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, the state government is setting up an Anti-Norcotics Task Force to check the smuggling and abuse of drugs. The Union Home Minister has been requested to assist in capacity building and formation of a joint task force with other States, Anitha said.

Andhra CM Naidu meets PM Modi in Delhi, thanks him for supporting Polavaram Project

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said he had a fruitful meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the national capital on Monday.

In a social media post, he thanked the PM for the Cabinet approval of revised cost estimates of the Polavaram Project and also support for the capital Amaravati.

"Had a fruitful meeting with the Hon’ble Prime Minister, Shri. @narendramodi ji in New Delhi today. I thanked him for the cabinet approval of revised cost estimates of the Polavaram Project and apprised him of developments in Andhra Pradesh. "I am thankful for his overall support and reassurance on the Central Government’s hand holding in matters related to fiscal stress being faced by our state and appreciate his support to the Capital City of Amaravati," Naidu said in the post.

In another post, he said he met with Union Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw and thanked him for taking forward the long-pending assurance of the establishment of a Railway Zone with Visakhapatnam as headquarters.

The CM said Vaishnaw informed him that Railways is investing Rs 73,743 crore on various infrastructure projects across Andhra Pradesh.