Naidu left for Delhi with a long wish list

HYDERABAD: Two days after Governor ESL Narasimhan had reportedly requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to accord 'special category status' to Andhra Pradesh and release the funds promised in the AP Reorganisation Act-2014, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu left for Delhi on Monday to meet Modi.

Interestingly, Naidu's visit to Delhi is taking place ahead of Sivaramakrishnan committee report to the Centre over locating the new capital of AP.

As the AP Chief Minister is going to meet the Prime Minister after a long gap, political circles are curious about the agenda of Naidu's trip to Delhi.

According to sources, Naidu, who has almost made up his mind to locate the new capital somewhere in Krishna and Guntur districts, closer to Vijayawada-Guntur stretch, is expected to tell the Prime Minister during his Monday meeting that the capital be set up only in this area.

After formally informing the Prime Minister about the decision of the AP government over locating the new capital, Naidu is expected to seek massive financial assistance from the Centre for the construction of the capital.

Of the other issues that Naidu is likely to raise during the meeting with Modi, the main one is 'special category status' to AP.

A top leader close to the AP CM, told Express that the main agenda of AP Chief Minister's Delhi visit is to complete the process of getting special category status for the reorganised AP at the earliest.

'As National Development Council (NDC), consisting of the Prime Minister and chief ministers of other states, need to clear the special category status to AP, Naidu will request the Prime Minister to convene the NDC meeting as early as possible so as to fulfil the Centre's promise,' said source.

Another important issue on Naidu's agenda is said to be seeking Centre's help in effectively implementing the crop loan waiver scheme. As the implementation of the scheme has become a Herculean task for the cash-starved AP, the Chief Minister is understood to be planning to request the Prime Minister to prevail upon the Reserve Bank of India to lend a helping hand to implement the scheme.

The AP Chief Minister is also expected to request the Prime Minister to initiate measures for completing the Polavaram project within the next four years. He is also likely to urge the PM to allocate substantial funds for the construction of the Project.

Apart from once again conveying AP government's unhappiness over the way the AP Reorganisation Act-2014 distributed power utilities between AP and Telangana on the basis of population ratio, the Chief Minister might also inform Modi of the State government's decision to oppose Power Purchasing Agreements (PPAs) not endorsed by the Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERC). Naidu might also request the Centre to allot more power to the State.

The Chief Minister is expected to urge Modi to implement the Centre's decision to invest the Governor with powers over law and order in Hyderabad.