Please Shah Please…

AP CM YS Jaganmohan Reddy, who met the Union Home Minister Amit Shah the other day, has made a series of requests to the latter. In a closed door meeting that lasted one-and-a-half hour on Tuesday evening in Delhi, Jagan placed a large number of requests before Shah.

From seeking Centre’s re-notification over shifting of AP High Court to Kurnool to disburse the pending amount of Rs 1,644.23 Crore to the state to the 3 Capitals row to Polavaram Project to the state’s revenue deficit to the Special Category Status to asking the Centre to take steps towards setting up a Tribal University in Vizianagaram, Jagan made so many appeals to Shah over several key issues of Andhra Pradesh.

According to reports, Jagan briefed Shah over the escalation of cost of Polavaram Project and requested him to grant administrative sanction to the Polavaram Project revised cost estimate of Rs 55,656.87 Crore. Jagan explained Shah that the cost escalation of Polavaram project is due to the present need to acquire more land for the project which increased from initial 1.02 lakh acres to 1.55 lakh acres.

The increase in land acquisition is due to the implementation of Land Acquisition Act-2013, CM Jagan informed Shah. He further informed that the number of displaced families have increased from 44,574 to 1.06 lakh. Jagan said thus more money would be required for package to pay the displaced families under the relief and rehabilitation.

CM Jagan further informed Union Home Minister that the state government is committed to decentralise administration and quoted that AP Decentralisation and Comprehensive Development of all Regions Act was passed in August 2020. He told Shah that the state is keen to establish Executive capital at Visakhapatnam, Legislative capital at Amaravati and Judicial capital at Kurnool.

Reminding Shah, the former national president of BJP, that the BJP had promised AP High Court in Kurnool in its election manifesto in 2019, Jagan appealed to Shah to issue a renotification for setting up High Court at Kurnool.

Jagan reportedly raised the issue of AP’s revenue deficit with Union Home Minister. He apprised Shah that the AP had identified a revenue deficit of Rs 22,948.76 crore in 2014-15, and the Centre had agreed to disburse Rs 4,117.89 crore, of which Rs 3,979.50 crore had been released. He urged the Centre to consider the balance amount of Rs 18,830.87 crore.

CM Jagan reportedly brought up the issue of Special Category Status with Union Home Minister that it was promised to the state in the Parliament and reiterated that granting of Special Category Status was vital to the fortunes of the State. He said SCS would help AP as it would bring more industries and more jobs in the state.

Jagan further requested Shah to initiate steps to set up a Tribal University in Vizianagaram district and said that the State government had identified 250 acres of land.

In addition to the above, CM Jagan briefed Union Home Minister about the Covid-19 vaccination drive in the state and effective steps being taken by AP state government. Jagan submitted a detailed letter to Home Minister on the same. He appealed Shah to accord consent for Disha-19 and Special Courts Bill and also presidential consent for AP Land Titling Act.

Raising the Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Scheme Project that created war with Telangana, CM Jagan stressed the need of the project for AP. He said the project would address the concerns of drought and lack of irrigation facilities in Rayalaseema region. Jagan informed Shah that the National Green Tribunal, Chennai, has given clearance to Rayalaseem Lift Irrigation Project and said that the NGT approved that the project does not require any environmental clearances.