n less than two weeks, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and TDP president Nara Chandrababu Naidu went to Delhi twice to have deliberations with the top brass of the central government. During his first visit, Naidu met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and all his key cabinet ministers to seek financial assistance and other promises for the state. He revealed that his visit was fruitful and expressed confidence that the centre is keen on providing all support to the state.
In his second visit on Tuesday, Naidu along with Finance Minister Payyavula Keshav and TDP cabinet ministers met Home Minster Amit Shah and discussed about the financial situation of the state. Naidu has reportedly put forward a request for alloting adequate funds in the upcoming budget. He asked Shah to look into the clauses in the AP Reorganization Act which led to the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh from Telangana and requested the centre to consider the interests of the state in this year’s budget.
Besides seeking financial assistance, Naidu discussed about other crucial aspects relating to the state. He exhorted Shah to grant funds for Polavaram project and Amaravati capital which will have a key role in developing the state. He also brought to Shah’s notice the current situation of National Highways and asked to take steps to have better connectivity of the state with new highway roads.
Other issues like Vizag Railway Zone, establishment of industrial corridors and creation of employment opportunities for the state came up for discussion during this crucial meeting ahead of the budget sessions.
After this high-profile meeting, Naidu stated that he discussed with Amit Shah on how the state was pushed into financial crisis during the last five years by explaining about the white papers released on key sectors in the last few days. Naidu blamed the previous government for pushing the state into a irreversible debt trap with its negligence and poor governance.
As TDP is a key coalition partner of the centre also with Naidu’s assurances after his two visits to Delhi, all eyes are now on the first budget sessions that will commence next week. What special packages and how financial assistance will the central government announce during this budget will be eagerly observed by the entire state.
Modi’s government will need to extend ample support to Andhra Pradesh if Naidu’s freebies and promises in the manifesto are to be realised in the next five years. So, this budget is going to be very crucial for the state government to fulfill its ambitions.
