Naidu pushes Andhra's cause with Modi - Times of India

HYDERABAD: Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Sunday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi and urged him to release funds for the construction of the new capital for the state.

The chief minister, who was in the national capital to attend the wedding reception of BJP national president Amit Shah's son, met Modi for nearly 30 minutes. He is said to have requested Modi to fulfill all promises made by the Centre before the bifurcation and implement all provisions of the AP Reorganization Act 2014.

"The main issues are central funding for the capital and the special category status for Andhra Pradesh, which was promised by the Centre before the bifurcation. As the chief minister broached the issue, the Prime Minister lent a patient hearing," said Kambampati Ramamohan Rao, special representative of AP in Delhi.

The chief minister is seeking Rs 20,000 crore to build the capital as the AP government is planning to construct about 15 buildings and complexes, including the Raj Bhavan, assembly, secretariat and CM's camp office, in the capital region. Modi is said to have assured Naidu that the Centre would study the feasibility of the proposal.

Meanwhile, Union urban development minister M Venkaiah Naidu said the special status to AP was still under consideration, but it would take time as it involves constitutional issues. "Granting special status to AP is very much under consideration. However, it is not easy to take a decision on it overnight since we need to address various legal and constitutional issues involved before arriving at a conclusion," he said at a press conference in Hyderabad.

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Jagan meets Rajnath Singh

YSR Congress president and leader of the opposition in the AP assembly, YS Jaganmohan Reddy met Union home minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday and urged him to implement the AP Reorgansiation Act so that Andhra Pradesh can get its due share of justice. "AP is being ignored by the Centre since the state government has failed to argue for its cause in Delhi. We requested the Union home minister to grant special status to the state and also announce incentives specially focusing on the backward region of Rayalaseema," Jagan Reddy told reporters after the meeting.

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