AP CM meets PM to seek all-round support for development

Earlier FM Arun Jaitley said Andhra Pradesh will get a lot more than what people are expecting

Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu today said he has requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to provide a liberal financial support for the development of the state and the new capital city.

"Special category status alone can not address all the issues. We asked for the Centre's support in whatever form they are able to extend to the state," he said after meeting with the Prime Minister in Delhi.

He said the Prime Minister has positively responded to all of his requests including the special category status for the state.

Naidu's meeting comes in the light of increased protests from opposition parties against the 'state government's inability' in extracting large scale packages similar to the one announced for Bihar and promises given at the time of state bifurcation, including the special category status.

Among other requests, Naidu sought tax exemptions for the construction of the proposed capital city, support for the faster implementation of the projects including the Chennai-Visakhapatnam Industrial Corridor, port and airport projects and also the metro rail projects proposed for Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam cities.

The chief minister said Government of India was obligated to extend its helping hand to AP till the state reaches the level of other frontline states in the country in terms of development.

Earlier, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who also took part in this hour-long meeting with the Prime minister, said the government was committed to implement all the provisions and promises made in the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014.

The Prime Minister has directed the NITI Ayog to prepare a road map for the implementation of each of the provisions of this Act.

The Centre had already released Rs 350 crore towards development of backward districts, Rs 1,500 crore for the construction of the capital city and Rs 2,300 crore towards the revenue deficit under the provisions of this act in the last financial year.