Goof up ruins AP proposal in Union budget

Andhra Pradesh that has sought huge fund allocation for the construction of a new state capital in Guntur district but ultimately whether the Center will make a provision to allot Rs. 1,580 crore for the capital in next budget or provisional allocation during this financial year.

The NDA government, in the Budget for ten months of the 2014, had announced a fund of Rs.500 crore for the new capital with the assurance to fund the huge revenue deficit of Rs.16,500 crore declared by the state government in its state budget .

A senior TDP Minister and spokesman at NTR Bhavan said that the center held the state responsible, for not posting the proposals in time for inclusion in the budget. Due to a missing file on CRDA and new proposals in time, the union budget could not make any allocations.

Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu expressing his utter disbelief over not granting special status to AP said that he was let down and added that he will represent it to the Prime Minister, Home Minister and Finance Minister to assist AP to develop at par with Telangana.

The inordinate delay resulted in a major goof up the state municipal administration officials who sent the proposals to the union government and was unsuccessful to follow up the issue in New Delhi. As no concrete proposals were not received from AP with regard to the state capital that is under land acquisition process after formation of CRDA, Central finance officials informed Andhra officials that they could not make any provisions.

However, the state government stated that the proposals were sent but did not reach the secretary level due to which a senior employee of I & PR at Delhi was sent to Hyderabad for the goof up. Following the effort by the state Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu, the union government has asked the state to send proposals once again.

The AP government wants the Centre to release Rs 1,000 crore for infrastructure along with Rs 580 crore for the construction buildings of the new capital. The Chief Minister said that to build a global standard capital city in AP, it took over 15 years and lakhs of crores. The government has already spent over 1000 crore, purchased 25,000 acres of land along with clearing the farmers loan debts to Rs.200 crore, providing them with social security initiatives.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, in yet another blow to the AP government has said that AP State can’t be given special status but a special financial package will be given to the state. However, Jaitley guaranteed both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana states that the all the assurances made in the AP Reorganization Bill-2014 will be implemented.

Jaitley in consolation announced Rs 45 Crore allocation for construction of IIIT, Rs. 40 cr for a NIT , Rs 45 cr for a IIT, Rs 40 cr for an IIM,Rs.100 crore for the prestigious Polavaram, Vijayawada metro Rs 5.63 cr, Visakhapatnam Metro project Rs 5.63 cr, Tribal University Rs 2cr and Central University Rs 1 cr.