Chandrababu Naidu emerged as a kingmaker in the NDA government after winning 18 parliamentary seats (including Janasena) in the recent elections and helping Narendra Modi’s BJP to retain power for the third consecutive term. Andhra Pradesh secures adequate funds from the central government for several key issues related to the state’s development.
In the 2024 budget, AP got the lion’s share of Rs 15,000 crore, which will be exclusively allocated to the beleaguered capital city of Amaravati, which has been neglected for the last five years. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman also assured funding and timely completion of the Polavaram Irrigation Project.
In addition to this bonus, the NDA government promised additional funds for capital investment under economic growth grants for the backward regions of Rayalaseema, Prakasam and North Coastal Andhra as stipulated in the AP Reorganisation Act.
As a clear support to the Polavaram project, the lifeline of Andhra Pradesh, the central government has now spent Rs 12,000 crore on the first phase work. The decision was taken during the cabinet meeting on Wednesday chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Since Polavaram is a national project, Naidu has pushed for the grant of separate funds with an aim to complete it by the end of this term.
Due to the negligence of the previous government under YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, Polavaram was completely ignored and sidelined. As a result, the diaphragm wall has been damaged by severe floods in the past few years. The financial support from the Centre will give a huge boost to the ambitious project. Now, the work to complete the project is likely to gain momentum in the coming days.
Besides the allocation for Polavaram, the Central government sanctioned another Rs 2,137 crore for industrial corridors at Kopparthi in YSR district and Rs 2,786 crore for Orvakal in Kurnool district. These two places are part of the planned 10 smart industrial cities across the country.
