CM Naidu scheduled to meet PM Modi, likely to discuss funds for Amaravati

On a two-day visit to the national capital, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union cabinet ministers, where he is likely to discuss central assistance for the construction work in the state’s capital, Amaravati, and for the Polavaram Irrigation Project.

Sources in the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) underlined that it was Naidu’s first visit to the national capital after taking oath as the Andhra chief minister last month. The Naidu-led TDP has 16 Lok Sabha members of parliament, making it the second biggest party in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which makes it a crucial constituent of the coalition government at the Centre.

According to sources, apart from the prime minister, Naidu is slated to meet Union minister of road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari, Union minister of commerce and industry Piyush Goyal, Union minister of housing, urban affairs and power Manohar Lal Khattar, and Union minister of petroleum and natural gas Hardeep Puri on Thursday. He will also host a dinner for Indian Administrative Services (IAS) officers from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana on Thursday.

Sources said that Naidu, after taking over as the Andhra chief minister on June 12, has spent the last 20 days assessing the financial situation of the state. On Wednesday, on the eve of his visit to New Delhi, Naidu released a white paper on Amaravati, the second of the seven white papers that his government plans to release. He had earlier released a white paper on the Polavaram project.

At the release of the white paper on Amaravati, Naidu said he will raise issues related to the rebuilding of the state capital, the financial condition of Andhra Pradesh, and the Polavaram irrigation project during his meetings with the prime minister and Union ministers.