Naidu’s observation earns Rs 2500 cr for AP

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu proved to be an able administrator and loyal servant of Andhra Pradesh people. His eye for detail and keen observation helped the state get Rs 2,500 crore dues from neighbouring Telangana. TDP sympathisers and loyalists are hailing Naidu for his keen observation and pro-active attitude.

When Andhra Pradesh was united, projects like Inner Ring Road, Hussain Sagar in Hyderabad were initiated with foreign loans.

The state was bifurcated even before the loans could be paid back. As the loans were taken up with the name of Andhra Pradesh, all of them were shifted to Navyandhra (bifurcated Andhra Pradesh). Since then, Andhra Pradesh had been paying both the loans amount and interest.

In fact, Telangana government should pay 42 per cent of these funds to Andhra Pradesh, as its share. However, with both the former CMs K. Chandrasekhar Rao and Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy ignoring this, the amount has not been paid to Andhra Pradesh.

The TDP coalition government, which assumed charge just a couple of months ago, could identify this fact and raised the issue with the central finance ministry.

Following directions from the finance ministry, the Telangana government transferred the huge amount to Andhra Pradesh through Intergovernmental transfer (IGT).

In fact, the Rs 2,500 crore funds is the rightful share of Andhra Pradesh and there is no doubt about it.

However, there was none who could look into and claim it.

After the bifurcation of the state in 2014, K. Chandrasekhar Rao and N. Chandrababu Naidu became the CMs of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

KCR had not focused neither on the bifurcation issues or pending dues to be paid to the neighbouring Telugu state.

However, Chandrababu Naidu, who forged an alliance with the NDA, tried to pursue the matter with the Centre.

By the time he could actually resolve the issue, he quit NDA.

Then the issue was shelved. YCP boss Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, who became the next CM, had close relations both with KCR and Modi at the Centre.

However, he could not use it for the advantage of the AP public.

With Chandrababu Naidu being elected as the CM by a huge mandate, Naidu began focusing on mobilizing funds to the state and Telangana CM A. Revanth Reddy also expressed his consent to make the payment.

The CMs of both the states held a meeting in Hyderabad, in the presence of Central officials.

At the meeting, Naidu raised the issue about the dues to be paid by the Telangana government towards various foreign-funded projects.

While Andhra Pradesh is supposed to pay 58 per cent of the loan amount, Telangana has to contribute 42 per cent of its share towards clearing the loans.

With Telangana not making any payment towards the pending loans during the last 10 years, the total amount rose up to Rs 2,500 crore and the entire amount has been transferred to Andhra Pradesh.