Raise VSP, RLIS issues in Parliament, Jagan tells party MPs

CM discusses strategy to be adopted in upcoming Parliament session

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy. File

Ahead of the monsoon session of Parliament, Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy held a meeting of the YSRCP Parliamentary Party on Thursday where the party MPs chalked out the strategy to be adopted in the upcoming session.

Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy directed the MPs to raise the Polavaram, privatisation of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP), Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Scheme (RLIS) and the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) among other major issues pertaining to the State in the Parliament.

After the meeting, YSRCP national general secretary and Parliamentary Party leader V. Vijaya Sai Reddy told the media that the MPs would raise the issue of investment clearance of ₹55,656 crore for the revised estimated cost of the Polavaram project, which has been pending for 29 months. They would request the Central government to release ₹33,000 crore related to relief and rehabilitation works of the project immediately.

He said they would raise Telangana’s illegal usage of water from inter-State irrigation projects and said the Andhra Pradesh government had moved the apex court seeking to hand over the operation and maintenance of such projects, including the Srisailam and Nagarjuna Sagar, to the Centre. He said they would demand the Centre to notify the tribunal’s judgement on the Vamsadhara project.

“We will oppose privatisation of the Vishakapatnam Steel Plant and raise the issue in Parliament,” he said.

Dues from Telangana

Pending electricity dues of ₹6,112 crore were still to be received from Telangana and the A.P. MPs would demand the Central government to intervene and solve the issue, he said.

There were also some imbalances in the National Food Security Act due to which Andhra Pradesh was bearing the loss and they would also raise this issue and seek justice.

He said the MPs would demand release of pending arrears of ₹5,056 crore related to ration rice and MGNREGS arrears of ₹6,750 crore, approval of the Disha Act and assistance for development of infrastructure facilities in 17,000 layouts.

They would seek approval for setting up the Tribal University in Saluru constituency and also to fulfil promises made during the State reorganisation, including the Special Category Status to the State. Effective COVID-19 management of the State government would also be mentioned in the Parliament, he said.