CM Jagan seeks help for novel scheme from Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman

NEW DELHI: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy called on the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday and urged her to extend financial assistance to novel schemes being implemented by the state government.

During the 40-minute meeting, Jagan raised the issues of resource gap funding for the year 2014-15, financial risks emanating from the excess borrowings made during the TDP rule between 2016 and ‘19, and the necessity of relaxations on borrowings.

During the discussion, Jagan said that the state government was facing problems in borrowing beyond the limit set during 2016-2019 and sought relaxation in this respect.

Highlighting revolutionary changes in educational, medical, and health sectors under the YSRCP regime, the Chief Minister said that the Government had incurred Rs. 6,000 crores under the first phase of Nadu-Nedu, improving basic infrastructure in 15,717 schools and digitalising the classrooms with interactive flat panels (IFPs).

"Under the Nadu-Nedu in the health and medical sector, Rs. 4,000 crores was spent establishing village clinics and improving the infrastructure in teaching hospitals," said Jagan.

Since the Centre proposed in the annual budget to give special assistance on capital investment incurred by the States, the Chief Minister said, "Such remarkable programmes like Nadu-Nedu would shape the future of the state, and the expenditure of Rs. 10,000 crores incurred should be treated as a capital investment while the special assistance provision should be applied for AP in this respect."

Reminding the Finance Minister about the outstanding dues of Rs. 6,756.92 crores from the Telangana Discoms to the AP Genco for supplying power post-bifurcation, the Chief Minister mentioned that the state had already brought this matter to the attention of the Centre repeatedly in the past. He urged the Finance Minister to initiate immediate action to recover the dues at the earliest.

"Urgent release of this money is paramount in the present situation wherein APGENCO is facing serious financial crunch," he said.

He also extended his gratitude to the Union Government for the assistance it was providing to Andhra Pradesh.

The Chief Minister will address the NITI Aayog Governing Council meeting on Saturday and highlight the developments brought in Andhra Pradesh in the last four years of the YSRCP regime.