Close on the heels of meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi a couple of days ago, Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Friday met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi and brought to his notice a host of issues, which included the plan to have three capitals, the Legislative Assembly resolution to abolish the Legislative Council, lapses in the bifurcation of the Police Department, the Disha Bill, and issues relating to the A.P. State Reorganisation Act.
“There are lapses in the division of the Police Department between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. All the technical logistics and premier institutions were left behind in Hyderabad,” Mr. Jagan told Mr. Shah.
The Centre had allotted State Forensic Lab in 2017 with a total budget of ₹253.4 crore. While the Central share was ₹152 crore, the State’s share was ₹101.4 crore. The project was put on the back burner during the previous government’s tenure, he told Mr. Shah, and urged him to reconsider the project and allocate funds for the same.
Explaining the government’s efforts to ensure safety of women, the Chief Minister urged Mr. Shah to direct the Central Home Ministry to approve the Disha Bill passed in the Assembly. He said that 18 Disha police stations were set up across the State with special teams. Fast-track courts to try cases under Disha Bill were being set up, he added.
Outlining the need for decentralisation of administration and development in the State, Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy told Mr. Shah that a Bill was passed in the Assembly to set up three capitals – Visakhapatnam (Executive), Kurnool (Judicial) and Amaravati (Legislative).
The Centre had released ₹1,000 crore for construction of the capital as against the allocation of ₹2,500 crore, he pointed out.
Polavaram project
Asserting that the Legislative Council had outlived its utility and was going against the Bills passed by the Assembly, the Chief Minister urged him to direct the Law Ministry to take necessary action in this regard.
Referring to the Polavaram project, Mr. Jagan said that the total estimated cost of the project turned out to be ₹55,549 crore. The State required ₹33,010 crore for the R&R package, he said.
“The State government intends to complete the project by 2021. The Centre’s assistance is required for the rehabilitation package,” Mr. Jagan told Mr. Shah.
