Reiterating the Centre’s contention that it had not ignored the interests of Andhra Pradesh at any point of time after its formation in June 2014, BJP State president and Visakhapatnam MP K. Haribabu on Saturday said a steel plant in Kadapa and an alternative port to Dugarajapatnam were under active consideration of the NDA Government. Both the promises were made in the A.P. Reorganisation Act.
Mr. Haribabu said that after finding the steel plant unviable by an experts’ committee, the Centre had constituted a task force and asked MECON to work on a detailed project report that gave a favourable report.
“Union Steel Minister Chaudhary Birender Singh broke the good news to me,” he told The Hindu here.
As NITI Aayog had rejected the greenfield port project at Dugarajapatnam on technical grounds, it had asked the Andhra Pradesh government to recommend an alternative place for funding the development of the major port, he said.
Railway zone
On the contentious railway zone with headquarters in Visakhapatnam, an election promise made by both the BJP and its ally, the TDP, in 2014, Mr. Haribabu said they would take a decision shortly after consulting Odisha and Chhattisgarh. Stating that they were not going back on the commitments made by the BJP, he said, “We have not only fulfilled almost 85% of the promises made in the Act but also cleared several projects that were not part of the legislation.”
Special package
He said Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley was holding consultations with the State government on the special financial package promised in lieu of the Special Category Status (SCS).
“We have already given ₹3,938 crore towards meeting the revenue deficit from the appointment date (June 2, 2014, to March 31, 2015). The remaining gap would also be reimbursed shortly, he added.
After declaring Polavaram as a national project, the NDA government had agreed to give aid for the externally aided projects (EAP) through NABARD and HUDCO on the request of the State government, Mr. Haribabu said.
AP had received lion’s share of funds in the last over three years, the highest post-Independence, he said.
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) had sanctioned ₹1 lakh crore to the State out of ₹7 lakh crore for the entire country to strengthen the road network.
“It is wrong to presume that the amount would go to the State exchequer,” Mr. Haribabu said.
