Naidu to push Centre on Andhra bifurcation disputes at zonal council meet

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu will push the Centre to settle long-pending institutional divisions and financial disputes stemming from the state's bifurcation when he joins his southern counterparts at Thursday's zonal council meeting in Mahabalipuram.

The 31st Southern Zonal Council, chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, will bring together the Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Puducherry.

Bifurcation disputes on the table

Naidu plans to press for resolution of issues tied to Schedules IX and X of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, which govern the division of institutions between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana following the 2014 split. He will also seek clarity on the distribution of assets and liabilities, pending financial matters, and the revenue gap and taxation challenges facing the state.

Infrastructure push across transport sectors

The Chief Minister intends to highlight infrastructure projects explicitly mentioned in the State Reorganisation Act that require Central backing. These include the Dugarajapatnam Port, metro rail projects linking Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada, railway connectivity improvements, airport development, and the establishment of industrial corridors.

While Naidu will thank the Centre for establishing the South Coast Railway Zone with its headquarters in Visakhapatnam and for funding the Polavaram Project, he will simultaneously request approvals, additional funding and Central support for several other projects.

The meeting is also expected to address broader coordination among southern states, inter-state dispute resolution, and implementation of the Reorganisation Act.

Source: The Hindu