AP Seeks Rs. 16,026 Crore

The state government prevailed upon the Union finance minister Pranab Mukherjee to allot and to release for Andhra Pradesh Rs. 16,026 crore from the Central budget for welfare schemes.

State finance minister Ramnarayan Reddy had impressed upon the Union finance minister, at the recent finance ministers' conference held on January 19, the need to release more funds as the state had organised the funds flow properly without resorting to overdraft, besides organising funds or liquidity during the period 2005-10.

The minister had demanded that a share of royalty on natural gas be given to AP. The process of realising natural gas in the Krishna and Godavari Basin had begun and therefore the state must get its due share, he pointed out.

Ramnarayan Reddy also brought to the notice of Mukherjee the various welfare schemes taken up in AP, and asked him to identify 7 districts as Naxal-infested areas and sanction funds for the upkeep of the forces in those areas.

He listed out a series of schemes and the state's expenditure on them, and urged the Union finance minister to share the burden of AP.

Jalayagnam also featured in his presentation. National status was sought for projects like Polavaram, Pranahitha-Chevella and Dummugudem, for which the state was to spend 10% of the funds.

For water conservation, including drip irrigation or micro-irrigation methods being taken up, Rs. 1 lakh per unit was sought instead of the present Rs. 50,000 per unit.

Resources registered an increase of 25-27% and AP put up a better show of funds flow now than till December 2010, said the minister. Ramnarayan Reddy said the reason for seeking more funds was non-budgetary expenditure incurred by the state, like scholarships and fee reimbursements.

Courtesy: INN