: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, on a visit here in connection with the Apex Council meeting of the Water Resources Ministry, wanted Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to ensure that externally-aided projects of the State worth Rs. 10,000 are cleared by the Union Cabinet.
At a meeting with Mr. Jaitley here on Wednesday, Mr. Naidu maintained that his government has already lined up externally-aided projects to the tune of Rs. 10,000 crore and clearance of these projects by the Cabinet would help the State immensely.
Central funding of 90 per cent of the quantum of the externally-aided projects to A.P. was one of the key components of the the special financial status, ‘the exact equivalent of special status,’ announced by the Narendra Modi government on September 8.
In lieu of the special status, the Centre agreed to give a special assistance measure for the government of Andhra Pradesh for five years (2016-2020), which would make up for the additional Central share the State might have received during these years as envisaged in the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s statement in the Rajya Sabha in February 2014.
