AP to seek more funds under special grants

14th Finance Commission to interact with CM, FM on September 12

Hyderabad: The Andhra Pradesh government will ask for more funds under special grants to the 14th Finance Commission which is arriving in Tirupati on September 12 to interact with the Chief Minister, Finance Minister and senior finance officials apart from Chief Secretary IYR Krishna Rao.

In the 13th Finance Commission, the State’s share came to 32 percent of which 4 percent was given to Andhra Pradesh and 28 percent to Telangana.

Finance Minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu told reporters here on Friday that the State would ask for more funds under the special grants other than its due, owing to financial crunch caused by the State’s bifurcation.

The Chief Minister held a meeting with Chief Secretary and officials of Finance Department in the evening to discuss about how to seek more grant from the commission. A senior official from the Finance Department told this correspondent that the Chief Minister and the Finance Minister would present a power point analysis on the financial situation of the State followed by a discussion.

“It is up to the commission to increase the size of the special grant, which is likely to be around Rs 1 lakh crore,” the officer said.

The 4 percent under the 13th Finance Commission comprised Rs 18,000 crore and if the same percentage was accorded in the 14th Finance Commission, the State would be lucky.

The commission devolves the central funds as per the set parameters which include per capita income and departure from poverty line.

Interestingly, Telangana with surplus revenue had higher per capita income than Andhra Pradesh, the official added.