Vijayawada: Ahead of
Andhra Pradesh assembly budget session, which begins on Wednesday, chief minister
N Chandrababu Naidu held a series of meetings with Union ministers with a long wish-list related to project clearances, financial support, and action on pending issues across irrigation, agriculture, railways, urban development, and steel sectors.
While urging finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman for higher fund allocations to the state under various schemes, Naidu requested home minister Amit Shah to introduce an amendment to the State Reorganisation Act to notify Amaravati as capital. In his meeting with Jal Shakti minister C R Patil, the CM sought the constitution of Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal to resolve water-sharing issues with Telangana, while raising objections to Karnataka's move to increase the height of Almatti dam, which he said affected downstream flows to the state.
The chief minister further sought reimbursement of the additional costs incurred due to increased capacities of Polavaram right and left main canals, and financial support for phase II works involving land acquisition, rehabilitation and protection bunds, estimated at about ₹32,000 crore. He also proposed the Polavaram-Nallamala Sagar link project aimed at diverting Godavari floodwaters to drought-prone areas for drinking, irrigation, and industrial needs. Naidu also urged publication of Vamsadhara Water Disputes Tribunal's final report in the Gazette as it enabled the construction of Neradi barrage.
During his meeting with agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Naidu discussed the state's plans to strengthen agriculture and allied sectors. He sought release of ₹216 crore due under the PM-Pranam scheme for 2024-25, stating that AP has reduced chemical fertiliser usage by 2.28% while 18 lakh farmers have given their consent to shift to natural farming across 8 lakh hectares. He sought ₹200 crore for development of coconut cultivation, along with support for a coconut processing park, tender coconut markets, farmer training, and nursery expansion.
Naidu requested the release of ₹695 crore pending under the ‘Per Drop More Crop' scheme. He also sought ₹100 crore due from the Centre under the price deficiency payment system for Totapuri mango farmers, noting that the state has already cleared the Centre's share to arrest the price fall. He further requested the establishment of a Makhana Development Board, stating that 50,000 acres around Kolleru lake was suitable for cultivation of Makhana.
He also raised issues related to pending and new railway projects during his meeting with railway minister Ashwini Vaishnav. Referring to the three high-speed rail corridors announced in the Union budget, he requested that the Bengaluru-Chennai corridor be linked to Tirupati, and sought a Gazette notification operationalising South Coast Railway Zone from April 1. He further requested greenfield mega coaching terminals at Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, Tirupati, and Amaravati, support for East Coast freight corridor via Vijayawada, a 50% concession on empty reefer containers for banana exports from Tadipatri, and approvals for new lines connecting Rayalaseema and tribal regions.
He also sought sanction of high-speed and semi high-speed corridors between Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada, Vijayawada and Kurnool, Tirupati and Chittoor, a new Hyderabad-Srisailam-Markapuram line, and a Vande Bharat service between Vijayawada and Bengaluru via Tirupati. He requested express train stoppages at Kuppam and a coach maintenance terminal.
Srikanth Aluri is the assistant editor at Times of India, Vijayaw...
Read MoreSrikanth Aluri is the assistant editor at Times of India, Vijayawada. He covers Chief Minister’s office, Telugu Desam Party, diaspora and the high court. In his 15 years of career as on ground journalist, Srikanth worked in Hyderabad, New Delhi and Vijayawada. He wrote extensively on AP politics, civic and legal issues.
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