Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and key NDA ally N Chandrababu Naidu has handed a wish list of more than Rs 865 crore to Union Minister for Agriculture Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who visited Amaravati on Thursday to unveil the statue of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his birth anniversary.
The chief minister handed over a memorandum containing the demands of a new agricultural university that was promised to the state, as well as substantial additional funds and subsidies from the Centre. The memorandum demanded that an additional Rs 695 crore be allocated for micro irrigation under the Per Drop More Crop (PDMC) scheme of Prime Minister Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (PMRKVY) of the Central government. The pending funds of Rs 19.05 crore from the Union Ministry of Food Processing under the Operation Greens scheme should be released. The chief minister also proposed increasing the subsidy under the PM Matsya Sampada Yojana to 60 per cent besides requesting for a financial assistance of Rs 150 crore for the procurement of 20 million kg of HD Burley Tobacco through AP MARKFED.
Naidu also wanted a subsidy for transporting bananas in railway wagons to reduce transit losses and assistance to silkworm rearing sheds under the VB G Ram Ji scheme, discontinued from 2025-26. He demanded that the National Fisheries Development Board be shifted to Amaravati from Hyderabad.
Naidu also asked for permission for a Mango Board and the regional centres of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research and the National Institute of Food Technology and Entrepreneur Management in Andhra Pradesh. An All-India Shrimp Federation should also be established in Amaravati.
The chief minister handed over the memorandum to the Union minister when he visited the former’s camp office. Both the Naidu and Chouhan unveiled the 13-foot-long bronze statue of Atal Bihari Vajpayee in a programme attended by key state BJP and TDP leaders.
“The next technological revolution is towards the quantum era. Amaravati is going to be a wonder. Here, a quantum valley is being set up. Chandrababu Naidu’s vision fills you with pride and confidence. Naidu will lead the state to a Healthy Andhra Pradesh, a wealthy Andhra Pradesh and a Happy Andhra Pradesh,” said Chouhan, promising the state government Central government’s support, particularly in agriculture, leaving no stone unturned.