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TDP calls meet over Budget

Disppointed once again by the Union Budget chief minister and TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu has called an “emergency” meeting…

TDP calls meet over Budget

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu. (Photo: Facebook)

Disppointed once again by the Union Budget chief minister and TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu has called an “emergency” meeting on 4 February at Amaravati to deliberate on the issue amidst demands across the state for the TDP to quit the NDA over non fulfilment of the promises made in the bifurcation act.

The TDP leadership however took a cautious approach on the question of quitting the alliance even though the senior leaders openly expressed their disappointment that Andhra Pradesh did even get a mention in the Budget speech.

State finance minister, Mr Yanamala Ramkrishnudu actually spoke on a positive note about the Union Budget saying the “Budget needs to be welcomed” as it addresses real issues with focus on agriculture and rural economy though he rued that the state did not figure at all in the Budget speech.

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YS Chowdary, minister of state for science and technology at the Centre while expressing his disappointment over the lack of budgetary support for AP said: “Many pressing issues of the state like railway zone, funding for Polavaram Dam and the new capital and other pending issues were not addressed in the budget.”

He said this was the last full Budget as the next one would be a vote-on-account in an election year. When repeatedly asked whether TDP was considering about quitting the alliance he said, “ We have to reslove issues by deliberations and discussions, debate and negotiations and not by quitting the discussions,” thereby overruling any hardline approach.

What rankled the TDP leadership more was the fact that even though poll bound Karnataka got funding for Bengaluru Metro rail neither the proposed metro project at Vizag nor the one in Vijayawada found a mention in the Union Budget.

Both Mr Ramakrishnudu and Mr Chowdary expressed disappointment that once again the promise for a separate railway zone at Vizag mentioned in the AP Reorganisation Act was mentioned. Budgetary provisions were not made for the Special Package as well which was announced earlier in lieu of the special category status though the chief minister time and again met the finance minister on this issue.

As TDP MPs themselves pointed out despite the many trips made by chief minister, N Chandrababu Naidu to Delhi since assuming office in 2014 he has not been able to secure much for his state.

However, the state government is in financial straits and requires regular intervention from the Centre to tide over its crisis almost every month and hence is hardly in a position to bargain. Incidentally, even the last Budget had seen Mr Naidu calling similar meeting with party MPs but the party had chose to continue to persuade the Centre to fulfill the promises made during bifurcation.

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