Reiterating that Special Category Status will not bring financial assistance to Andhra Pradesh more than what the Central government has already extended, BJP State president and Visakhapatnam MP K. Haribabu exuded confidence that the State would achieve rapid development in the next five to 10 years.
“Projects / institutions with an outlay of nearly Rs.1.40 lakh crore have been sanctioned for A.P. and a sizable chunk of it disbursed but that does not mean the money will flow into the coffers of the State government. There is a process for it and people will see funds coming as things start taking shape. At about 14 per cent, the Value Added Tax alone will fetch Rs. 20,000 crore for the State,” he observed.
In an exclusive interview to The Hindu here on Thursday, Mr. Haribabu said the State government’s claim of Rs. 16,000 crore revenue deficit was under examination. Nearly, Rs. 2,300 crore has already been released and the balance will be given to the extent it is ‘realistic’.
Five major Defence projects were sanctioned in Anantapur, Chittoor, Krishna and Kurnool districts. Nine of the 11 Central institutions have started functioning from temporary campuses as construction of permanent structures will take a few years.
“The list of such projects and institutions given to A.P. in the last 18 months runs very long. A majority of them are outside the purview of A.P. Reorganisation Act,” he pointed out, and insisted that the State could not get everything at just the drop of a hat.
Mr. Haribabu sees the presence of six functional airports, of which four have night-landing facility, seaports across the 974 km-long coast and a well-developed road network as tremendous opportunities for A.P. to rise above the impact of bifurcation.
Besides, the number of east flowing rivers and their huge tributaries and the potential for development of irrigation projects are the other things that stand the State in good stead.
Linking of rivers
The BJP leader said the inter-linking of Mahanadi and Godavari rivers was going to be another boon and the good news was that it was being actively pursued by the Central government in spite of some opposition from Odisha. It is of immense benefit to A.P. and causes no loss to its neighbour.
The Polavaram project, which will be fully supported by the Central government, is going to transform the agricultural landscape by stabilising an ayacut of 24 lakh acres, Mr. Haribabu added.
