Asserting that there was enough empirical evidence now to show that the “unscientific, irrational and arbitrary” bifurcation caused irreparable loss to Andhra Pradesh, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to implement the assurances and provisions of the A.P. Reorganisation Act to enable the State to at least offset a part of it.
The Chief Minister met Mr. Modi in New Delhi on Friday for over an hour and submitted a 17-page memorandum that lists out the impact of bifurcation for the last three and half years as well as unfulfilled demands. Showing data, he is believed to have told the Prime Minister that despite growing at fastest pace among the southern States, the gap between A.P. and other States in terms of per capita income was clearly widening.
Though three and half years elapsed since division of State, many issues remained pending, like division of assets and liabilities of institutions listed under Schedule IX, Special Assistance Measure cleared by Union Cabinet on March 15, 2017 in place of Special Category Status, release of funds for Polavaram project and balance of resource gap funds working out to about of ₹12,000 crore, establishment of Petroleum and Cracker complex in Kakinada and new railway zone with Visakhapatnam as the headquarters.
Mr. Naidu sought to remind Mr. Modi that the Andhra Pradesh government had agreed to special assistance measurer in lieu of Special Category Status (SCS) as the Centre had promised to the State same benefits which were possible through the SCS.
Addressing a press conference, Mr. Naidu said that he urged the Prime Minister to ensure that ₹16,000 crore was given to AP under Externally Aided Projects as grant.
The State government spent about ₹12,000 crore on Polavaram project by completing 53% project works and 70% earth works, but the Centre was yet to release ₹3,000 crore for the same.
