Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh government will again raise the State bifurcation-related issue at the 30th Southern Zonal Council (SZC) meeting in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday, according to Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy. With the case demanding that the Centre put in place a system to find a solution to the matter that has remained unresolved for over eight years now, said the Chief Minister.
The system should also ensure effective implementation of the decisions taken to resolve all contentious issues, he said. "The longer the issues remain unresolved, the more damage the State has been incurring, the Chief Minister had said at a high-level preparatory meeting ahead of the SZC meeting. A CMO release did not mention the demand for special category status for the State. The Chief Minister, however, would not be attending the meeting due to his father's death anniversary ceremonies.
State Finance Minister Buggana Rajendranath would lead a delegation that comprises Chief Secretary Sameer Sharma and others. A total of 19 subjects related to Andhra have been listed on the agenda. The State hosted the 29th meeting of the SZC in Tirupati in November last. At that meeting, Union Home Minister Amit Shah directed various Central ministries to prepare an action plan within a month for the division of assets between Andhra and Telangana in accordance with the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014.
The Chief Minister had then asked the Centre to complete the legal division of assets valued at about Rs 1,42,601 crore. He had also requested the Centre to constitute a committee under the chairmanship of the Union Home Minister to resolve inter-State issues in a time-bound manner. But, nothing happened in the last 10 months barring a couple of meetings between the Centre and the two Telugu-speaking States. Among other things, Andhra would also raise the Polavaram multi-purpose project issue at the SZC meet and seek the release of sufficient funds for its completion. (PTI)
