Jaitely promises Naidu all support

• Naidu meets PM, asks for a special AP Cell in PMO
• Invites Modi for his swearing-in on June 8
• Naidu also meets Rajnath Singh, Uma Bharti, Smriti Irani, among others

New Delhi: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister-designate N Chandrababu Naidu on Friday called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and sought the setting up of an Andhra Pradesh Cell in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). This is to monitor and ensure the implementation of various assurances held out in the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014. Naidu personally invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend his swearing-in ceremony in Andhra Pradesh on June 8.

Naidu also invited other senior Union Ministers like Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. Several non-Congress Chief Ministers would also be invited, he said. The TDP chief said he had explained to the Prime Minister about his meeting with the bankers and the need to waive farm loans and DWCRA loans. He said that tax-incentives were given to Andhra Pradesh on the lines of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Special Category Status and Special Package for Andhra Pradesh also had to be expedited.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley promised full support to Andhra Pradesh, saying, “When the Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Bill was being passed in the Rajya Sabha, we raised the issue of financially supporting the residuary State of Andhra Pradesh. Therefore, whatever we have asked the government at that stage and compelled it to commit, we are bound to honour. We will support the State because it has to be rebuilt, large parts of it.” Asked about the Special Category State Status for Andhra Pradesh, he said it was done by the Planning Commission, but that was being processed.

Chandrababu Naidu specifically discussed with Finance Minister Arun Jaitley the issue of farm loan-waiver promised during the election campaign. He has already met the bankers and now the modality is being worked out. In this regard, all the related issues were discussed with Arun Jaitley. Implementation of the several sops included in the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014, were also discussed. “I met the Finance Minister and we spoke about the two States – Telangana and Seemandhra. We discussed the appropriation of funds and how underdeveloped Seemandhra is. The Finance Minister and the Prime Minister had promised us that they will be liberal in funding the development of Seemandhra. We also covered the issue of farmer troubles and we are providing debt relief.”

Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharati promised to expedite all necessary clearances to Polavaram Project. For the new capital of Andhra Pradesh, water allocation has to be made by Uma Bharati and Naidu requested her to make allocation of 30 tmcft from the river Krishna to the new capital. The Krishna River Management Board and Godavari River Management Board have to be constituted and for each an Apex Council is also to be set up, of which Water Resources Minister Uma Bharati is the Chairperson and Telangana Chief Minister and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister are members. Uma Bharat said she would take necessary steps in this regard.

Spending a busy day in the capital, Chandrababu started off the day with his meeting with Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. Then he met Water Resources Minister Uma Bharati, primarily to raise issues relating to Polavaram Project. He met Minister of State in PMO and Planning Jitender Singh to discuss Special Category State Status for Andhra Pradesh. With Union Power Minister Piyush Goyal, he discussed the new power units in the State. He also met HRD Minister Smriti Irani to discuss the implementation of the assurances in the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014, like separate Central University and institutes of excellence in Andhra Pradesh.

With Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, he discussed the issue relating to transferring the allocations from Krishna-Godavari gas basin of the undivided State to the residuary State of Andhra Pradesh.

Special Category Status and Special Financial Packages were promised at the time of the formation of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. On June 2, the Appointed Day, the two States will come into being. Necessary GOs have to be issued on several of these issues. Significantly, former Union Minister Jairam Ramesh, who was closely involved with the exercise involved in the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, was present during several meetings. Chandrababu Naidu also met Finance Commission Chairman Y Venugopal Reddy to discuss the Special Package for Andhra Pradesh. Venugopal Reddy sought a formal memorandum and said once that was received, he would look into it.