Delhi: Andhra CM Jagan Reddy meets Nirmala Sitharaman, seeks release of pending funds

New Delhi [India], March 30 : Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy called on Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman here on Thursday and urged her to release the NREGA (National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme) arrears of Rs 2,500 crores due to the State besides increasing its credit limit.

The Chief Minister appealed to the Finance Minister to enhance the credit limit of Rs 17,923 crore which was reduced from Rs 42,472 crore in 2021-22 for no fault of the State Government and take steps to ensure that the Telangana Government clears Rs 7,058 crore outstanding from the TS Discoms to APGENCO for the power supplied between 2014 and 2017.

The CM further urged Sitharaman to release the pending amount of Rs 36,625 crore under Resource Gap Funding for fiscal 2014-15 to the State, sanction Rs 10,000 crore immediately on an ad-hoc basis to expedite the construction of the Polavaram Project and another Rs 2,020 crore to fill the scourge pits formed at the main Dam site due to the washing away of diaphragm wall in the flash floods.

"Andhra Pradesh has so far spent Rs 2600.74 crore on Polavaram Project from its exchequer," the CM said and sought the reimbursement of the same from the Central funds and accept the Technical Advisory Committee's revised estimates of Rs 55,548 crore on the Polavaram Project.

The Chief Minister also urged Sitharaman to implement the promise of granting Special Status to the State.