Home Minister Amit Shah seeks Andhra Pradesh's continued support on new farm laws

VIJAYAWADA: Explaining the rationale behind decentralisation of administration, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Tuesday reminded Union Home Minister Amit Shah that the state government had come up with the proposal to make Visakhapatnam the executive capital, Amaravati legislative capital and Kurnool the judicial capital and urged him to initiate the process of relocating the High Court from Amaravati to Kurnool by issuing a notification. 

He pointed out that the issue of High Court in Kurnool was also mentioned in the 2019 election manifesto of the BJP.

Jagan, who called on the Home Minister in New Delhi on Tuesday night, held discussions for more than an hour. Sources said besides explaining the political scenario in the state, the Chief Minister urged the Home Minister to initiate a CBI probe into the alleged irregularities in Amaravati lands and the fibernet project of the previous TDP government. 

The state government has already given its consent for a CBI probe into the Amaravati and fibernet scams. The Centre is yet to take a decision on it.

On his part, Shah reportedly sought Jagan’s continued support to the farm laws passed by Parliament. The YSRC had extended support to the bills in Parliament.

However, respecting the farmers’ sentiments, it had partially backed the recent Bharat Bandh.

A release from the Chief Minister’s Office said the Chief Minister also urged Shah to direct the Jal Shakti and Finance ministries to approve the second revised cost estimates of Rs 55,656 crore of Polavaram project as per 2017-18 price level. 

Jagan further sought reimbursement of LARR as per the Land Acquisition Act, 2013. 

“The number of submergence affected families has increased from 44,574 to 1.06 lakh as the number of houses that will submerge. With this, the LARR cost has increased manifold,’’ Jagan informed Shah. 

He also told Shah that the State government is yet to get Rs 1,779 crore reimbursement for the cost it had incurred on the national project. Any delay in construction of the project will lead to cost escalation,’’ Jagan said. He also explained measures taken to combat Covid-19 and also the initiatives for the benefit of the people, who lost their livelihood during the pandemic. 

Jagan also stated that the government is fully prepared for the distribution of coronavirus vaccine and put in place cold chain facilities in the state.

He also sought permission for additional borrowings permitted by the Centre to help States fight COVID-19.

Though the government complied with all the reforms to get the additional borrowing space of 2 per cent of GSDP and it was permitted to avail additional borrowing on three parameters, it is yet to get
permission for borrowing 0.25 per cent though it complied on power sector reforms too. Jagan sought Amit Shah’s intervention in the issue.

Besides, the Chief Minister asked for Central assistance to AP, which suffered a huge loss due to the recent floods and cyclones.