AP meted out raw deal in union budget: Lakshmi Narayana

Tirupati: Former CBI officer and Pratyeka Hoda Vibhajana Hameela Sadhana Samithi General Secretary VV Lakshmi Narayana said taht Andhra Pradesh meted out with a raw deal in the Union Budget with regard to allocations for various projects, particularly the long pending Polavaram project.

Speaking to reporters along with Pratyeka Hoda Vibhajana Hameela Sadhana Samithi president Chalasani Srinivas here on Thursday, Lakshmi Narayana said that the Union government has reduced the capacity of Polavaram Project and also failed to recognise Polavaram project as a multi-purpose project.

The Polavaram Sadhana Samithi will launch a State-wide agitation to press for allocation of required funds for the speedy completion of the Polavaram project and also to retain the dam height 45.72 metres as against the height reduced by the Center to 41.15 metres, he stated.

Chalasani Srinivas pointed out that not only in Polavaram project, the Union budget caused injustice to the State in other development initiatives. He alleged that only Rs 278 crore was allocated to railways against the Rs 17,000 crore that was alloted to Gujarat, the home State of PM Narendra Modi. Besides, many States including Maharashtra received priority in the budget allocation, he said criticising the Centre for the injustice done to AP.

Srinivas and Lakshmi Narayana wanted the State government to take up this issue to the Centre’s notice and also press for fulfilling all the promises made at the time of Andhra Pradesh bifurcation.