AP seeks support to develop 3 international airports

Andhra Padesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Sunday sought Union civil aviation minister P Ashok Gajapathi Raju’s support to develop Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam and Tirupati airports as international airports besides creating air strips in other parts of the state.

Addressing state MPs at the Lake View Guest House here on the eve of Parliament Budget session, Naidu spoke on 35 various problems pertaining to the state that needed to be put forth for the Centre’s consent.

“The state has a revenue deficit of Rs 15,691 crore this year. The Centre should extend support to release these funds. Also, a government order (GO) for a special development package for North Andhra is to be released,” he said.

Requesting the Centre to allocate Rs 5,000 crore as a first tranche towards development of a new capital city in the Budget, Naidu asked his MPs to meet ministers concerned to speed up the process of setting up IIT, IIM, and AIMS etc that had already been sanctioned.

“We are proposing to convert 14 state highways stretching 2,890 km into national highways,” he said, adding a proposal to sanction funds to develop three mega cities and 12 smart cities in the state had also been made.