Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Monday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi and urged the Centre to implement in toto the assurances contained in the Andhra Pradesh State Reorganisation Act, including grant of Special Category Status to the State.
According to official sources, the Chief Minister apprised the Prime Minister on the situation in the State post-bifurcation. He sought the Centre’s help in building the new capital, apart from urging the Union government to meet the State’s budget deficit, provide tax incentives and special development package for four Rayalaseema districts and three north coastal districts.
The Chief Minister spent about an hour with the Prime Minister, the sources added.
At a press conference later in the evening, Telugu Desam MP Y. S. Chowdary was specifically asked about his response to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa’s letter to Prime Minister appealing to the Centre to adopt a cautious approach while granting area-based tax incentives to A.P. and Telangana. “We have only appealed to the Centre to implement the A.P. State Re-organisation Act and the tax incentives promised by then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. We need these incentives to attract investments.”
Earlier, the Chief Minister met Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh and briefed him about the drought-like situation was prevailing in both A.P. and Telangana and sought help for both the States. Mr. Naidu also called on Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Union Minister for Food Processing Industries Harsimrat Kaur Badal. He was believed to have sought housing facilities for the families of those killed in GAIL pipeline accident, setting up of petroleum refinery at Kakinada and cracker unit at Machilipatnam during his meeting with the Petroleum Minister.
He also addressed Delhi-based foreign correspondents and promoted ‘brand A.P.’ saying the State was a land of opportunities.
