Chandrababu Naidu meets PM Modi, seeks Central govt's support for Andhra Pradesh

The TDP chief, who is on a two-day visit to the national capital, also held talks with Union Ministers Nitin Gadkari and Piyush Goyal on state-specific issues.

New Delhi: To press for demands for the state including help for building the Polavaram project, the Amaravati capital project as well as financial aid, Andhra CM Chandrababu Naidu met Prime Minister Modi and members of his Cabinet in Delhi on Thursday.

Naidu also met Union Home minister Amit Shah, Union Commerce minister Piyush Goyal and Union Road transport minister Nitin Gadkari as well as Finance Commission chairperson Arvind Panagariya during his visit to Delhi.

Key among a slew of demands to the prime minister was handholding of the state’s finances in the immediate future as well as the Centre’s support in the completion of the Polavaram National Irrigation Project, a pet initiative of the chief minister.

Apart from that, Naidu also insisted on “comprehensive financial support” for the completion of the infrastructure of the capital city of Amaravati, said TDP sources. Naidu also asked for support to backward regions of Andhra Pradesh in line with Bundelkhand financial aid, as well as support for the Duggirajupatnam port.

In his meeting with the home minister, Naidu asked for division of assets as per the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act 2014, as well as a review of the Andhra Pradesh cadre.

To Gadkari, Naidu asked for upgrading the highway between Hyderabad to Vijayawada into a six/eight lane one, and Vijayawada Eastern Bypass, among other demands.

Naidu also asked petroleum minister Hardeep Puri to announce the establishment of a refinery in the state. He asked commerce minister Piyush Goyal to transfer the Centre's Salt Lands for Port-led Industrial Development to the state government at their registered value. To agricultural minister Shivraj Chouhan, Naidu asked for financial assistance for a range of projects, including an aquapark.