Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday urged Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to further support Andhra Pradesh to be able to compete with neighbouring States, including Telangana.
Speaking at the inaugural of National Academy of Customs, Excise and Narcotics project at Palasamudhram in the district, Mr. Chandrababu Naidu, while acknowledging the support the Centre had given to the State, sought to drive home the point that people of Anantapur district were living in hope despite facing one of the harshest droughts.
“You (Arun Jaitley) bailed me out in the last moment by allotting Rs. 2,300 crore towards partially reimbursing the budget deficit, Rs 1,500 crore for the new State capital construction and Rs 250 crore and Rs100 crore each for the Polavaram project and Godavari Pushkaralu,” said Mr Chandrababu Naidu adding that he hoped for greater support from the Centre, without which, he opined, the speedy development of the State was not possible.
Earlier, Union Urban Development Minister M. Venkiah Naidu attacked the Congress for not having included the 'special category status' in the Andhra Pradesh State Reorganisation Bill and questioned the motive behind the Congress move to announce the same only on the floor of Parliament while not including the same provision in the Bill.
On the other hand, he said the government of India completely stood by all the promises made to the State in the Act and many more and went on to argue that the Union government was allotting thousands of crores towards construction of various institutions in the State was proof enough.
While listing out many of the institutions that were set to come up in the State he said the work on the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) would begin during May. The Railway Minister has promised a new railway zone for the State and AP will get three international airports in Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam and Tirupati, said Mr Venkiah Naidu.
