Andhra CM discusses with officials issues to be taken up at Southern Zonal Council meet on Sept 3

Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday held a preparatory meeting with officials on issues to be discussed at the Southern Zonal Council (SCZ) meeting scheduled to be held in Thiruvananthapuram on September 3.

The Chief Minister directed officials to ensure that key issues pertaining to the State, including unresolved issues of State bifurcation are brought up in the meeting.

He said that there is a need to demand the setting up of a system to address and resolve the bifurcation issues, besides implementing the decisions taken. He opined that Andhra Pradesh has suffered a lot financially after losing a city like Hyderabad, and it was suffering even more with the delay in resolving the bifurcation issues. Also, he instructed the officials to raise the Polavaram issue at the meeting and ask the Centre to release sufficient funds for completing the project.

The Chief Minister said that he will not be able to attend the meeting due to the death anniversary of his father YS Rajashekar Reddy.

He stated that a delegation from the state will attend under the leadership of Finance Minister Buggana Rajendranath. In this regard, the officials have placed 19 items on the agenda that are to be addressed at the Council meeting.

Other than him, some other big names from the party and some other high officials were also present in the meeting.

Earlier today, former TDP leader Ganji Chiranjeevi joined YSRCP, in presence of Chief Minister Reddy. The Chief Minister welcomed him by draping a shawl around him. Chiranjeevi comes from the Mangalagiri constituency.

( With inputs from ANI )