New Delhi:
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu met Union Home Minister Amit Shah here late Tuesday night, urging for a substantial fund allocation in the upcoming Union Budget to address the state’s financial challenges, sources said.
During the meeting at Mr Shah’s residence, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president emphasised that Andhra Pradesh continues to face the aftermath of the “unjust bifurcation” in 2014 and the previous administration’s “miserable governance,” according to sources.
Mr Naidu, who arrived in the national capital on Tuesday evening for a two-day visit, is expected to meet Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday to further discuss the state’s financial needs. A meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also likely on the cards, the sources added.
The Andhra Pradesh government data reveals a worrying trend in the state’s fiscal health. The public debt has risen from 31.02 per cent of the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) in 2019-20 to 33.32 per cent in 2023-24, indicating a deterioration over the past five years.
This is Mr Naidu’s second trip to Delhi in nearly a fortnight. On July 4, he presented a seven-point development agenda to the Prime Minister, aimed at addressing the state’s post-bifurcation challenges.
Mr Naidu’s advocacy for increased funding comes on the heels of a similar move by JD(U) national working president Sanjay Kumar Jha, who met Ms Sitharaman on Monday seeking higher allocations for Bihar in the upcoming Budget.
Both TDP and JD(U) are key constituents of the BJP-led NDA. TDP is leveraging its coalition partnership to push for Andhra Pradesh’s financial needs ahead of Union Budget 2024.
During his previous Delhi visit, Naidu had also held talks with Shah and other Union ministers, including Ms Sitharaman, underscoring the urgency of the state’s financial requirements.
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