The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Relax financial regulation: YSR

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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Relax financial regulation: YSR

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: Andhra Pradesh, on Saturday, sought relaxation in financial regulation for States to help it raise additional funds for government spending on infrastructure and also sought Central support to its “Arogyasri” medical scheme.

Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy asked the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that the Centre permit the State to additionally raise nearly Rs. 6,000 crore from the open market in addition to the Rs. 7,600 crore and also waive a proviso in the Debt Consolidation and Relief Facility guidelines.

Addressing a press conference, Dr. Reddy said that during his meetings with the Prime Minister, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and the Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia, the State sought relaxation in the Financial Regulation and Budget Management Act to raise more funds.

Positive response

He argued that the State was in a better position to clear its debts and should be allowed to raise more for greater public spending in infrastructure. He said the State’s request has received a positive response.

The State also sought extending Scheduled Caste status to Dalit Christians, change of subsidy on fertilizers to protect the interest of farmers, declaring Indira Sagar Polavarm Project as a national project and notification of five proposals as national highways.

The Finance Minister was requested to recommend to the World Bank for International Development Assistance, second additional loan for the State rural poverty reduction project.

Request for KVA

In his meeting with Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal, the Chief Minister asked him to reconsider extending the mid-day meals scheme to all high schools and also to students of classes IX and X; setting up of a Kendriya Vidyalaya in Nalgonda, sanction for a campus of the Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad in Khammam; setting up of a School of Planning and Architecture in Vijayawada, Rs. 10 crore and Rs. 2 crore grant for new universities/colleges in the State and a world class central university in Visakhapatnam.

As for Hyderabad Metro Rail Project, he said, the State government has to take a view. He said the Maytas Infra-led consortium has been asked to respond on the status and a view would be taken in the next few days.

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