Sitharaman asked to increase the capital expenditure allocation for AP to ₹ 13.5 lakh crore.

Lanka Dinakar, President of the twenty point program. File | Photo credit: T. Vijay Kumar

Implementation of Twenty Point Program (Vikas Bharat 2047 and Swarna Andhra 2047) President Lanka Dinakar submitted a memorandum to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in New Delhi on December 18 (Wednesday) seeking steps to continue the central government’s support to Andhra Pradesh.

In the memorandum, Mr. Dinakar requested Ms. Sitharaman to increase the capital expenditure allocation to ₹ 13.50 lakh crore in the upcoming budget.

For long-term interest-free loans to states for capital expenditure, an allocation of between ₹ 2 lakh crore to ₹ 2.50 lakh crore was required. He said that more interest-free long-term loans will be given for irrigation projects in drought-affected areas, especially in backward districts.

Mr. Dinakar emphasized the need for special allocation under centrally sponsored schemes for skill development. For implementation of PM Gati Shakti Yojana, states should be given another opportunity with an additional allocation of ₹ 10 lakh crore to ₹ 15 lakh crore.

‘Purvodaya’ scheme

Under the “Purvodaya” scheme, a planned allocation of at least ₹ 50,000 crore is required for five states with a central, state and private partnership model, similar to the PM Gati Shakti, he said.

Urging the Union Finance Minister to continue support for Amravati and Polavaram projects, Mr. Dinakar expressed gratitude for recognizing Prakasam district as a backward district. “Like other backward districts, an assistance of Rs 350 crore was sought for Prakasam district over seven years,” he added.