New Delhi, Feb 9: Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his chambers in Parliament on Friday and requested him to expedite several issues related to the state. Reminding the Prime Minister that the Finance Ministry had already agreed to remove the component-wise expenditure ceiling on the Polavaram Project and release Rs.12,911 crore for its first-phase completion, the Chief Minister urged him to obtain Cabinet approval for the two pending issues. He also urged the Prime Minister to prioritize the release of Rs. 17,144 crore for the speedy completion of the project's first phase, the proposal for which was pending in the Jal Shakti Ministry. Furthermore, he sought immediate steps from the Centre to ensure the release of Rs. 7,230 crore in arrears by the Telangana Government to APGENCO for power supplied to it over three years from 2014.

The Chief Minister also urged the Prime Minister to grant Special Status to Andhra Pradesh and implement other assurances given at the time of bifurcation, as this would help the state attract investments for industrial development and improve employment opportunities. He further sought the Centre’s financial support for the 17 new medical colleges, out of which classes have commenced in five colleges and the rest are under construction. Additionally, the Chief Minister urged the Prime Minister to provide necessary funds for the 55-km six-lane highway connecting Visakhapatnam city with Bhogapuram International Airport via Bhogapuram, Bhimili, Rishi Konda, and Visakhapatnam Port.

He also appealed for the extension of the Visakhapatnam-Kurnool high-speed corridor proposed in the Andhra Pradesh Bifurcation Act to Bangalore via Kadapa, and as part of this, a new railway line should be laid connecting Kadapa, Pulivendula, Mudigubba, Sri Satya Sai Prasanthi Nilayam, and Hindupur to provide proper connectivity to the backward Rayalaseema region. The Chief Minister further appealed for the approval of the Visakha Metro Rail Project at the earliest.