PNS|Tirupati
Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Bandi Sanjay Kumar, has claimed that the Centre is extending more financial support to Andhra Pradesh than to any other State, especially in light of its ongoing fiscal crisis.
Addressing the media here on Wednesday, Bandi Sanjay stated that the Centre facilitated AP to mobilise Rs 22,000 crore through bonds, Rs 15,000 crore from the World Bank, Rs 12,000 crore from HUDCO, and Rs 5,000 crore from a German bank for developmental projects and the construction of the Capital city, Amaravati.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone in Visakhapatnam for projects worth Rs 2 lakh crore. He also launched development works in Amaravati, which are estimated at Rs 50,000 crore,” he said.
The Minister further noted that the Modi-led Central Government is committed to turning the struggling Visakhapatnam Steel Plant into a profit-making entity. He said the Centre had sanctioned Rs 11,444 crore for its modernisation. He also mentioned that the Union Cabinet had approved an advance of Rs 5,000 crore for AP and sanctioned Rs 12,157 crore for the Polavaram project, of which Rs 2,807 crore has already been released.
“For 2024–25, the Centre has allocated Rs 95,500 crore to Andhra Pradesh in the form of taxes and non-tax revenue, apart from a special financial assistance of Rs 30,334 crore,” he added.
Highlighting the national economic progress, Bandi Sanjay claimed that the Indian economy has grown from $2 trillion to $4 trillion under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership, moving India from the 11th to the 4th position in the global economic ranking. He described Modi’s 11-year rule as a ‘Swarna Yugam’ (Golden Era).
He also listed various welfare schemes implemented by the Centre, including free ration distribution to 81 crore people under the PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana, construction of 4 crore houses under PMAY with 3 crore more approved, installation of drinking water taps in 15 crore rural households, construction of over 12 crore toilets, and health and life insurance schemes benefitting crores of people under Ayushman Bharat, PMSBY and PMJJBY.
