Andhra Pradesh to demand mechanism to address post-bifurcation issues

Amaravati, Aug (IANS) Andhra Pradesh will demand a mechanism to address issues related to the state's bifurcation during the meeting of the Southern Zonal Council (SCZ) scheduled for September 3 at Thiruvananthapuram.

Chief Minister Y. S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday held a preparatory meeting with officials on the agenda to be discussed at the SCZ meeting.

He directed the authorities to ensure that key issues pertaining to the state, including unresolved issues of state bifurcation, are brought up in the meeting.

He said that there is a need to demand the setting up of a system to address and resolve the bifurcation issues, besides implementing the decisions taken.

Jagan Mohan Reddy opined that Andhra Pradesh has suffered a lot financially after losing a city like Hyderabad, and said that it was suffering even more with the delay in resolving the bifurcation issues.

He also instructed the officials to raise the Polavaram issue at the meeting and ask the Centre to release sufficient funds for completing the project.

The Chief Minister said that he is not attending the meeting due to the death anniversary of his father Y.S. Rajashekar Reddy and stated that a delegation from the state will attend under the leadership of Finance Minister Buggana Rajendranath.

In this regard, the officials have placed 19 items on the agenda that are to be addressed at the Council meeting.

Ministers Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy, and Rajendranath, Chief Secretary Sameer Sharma, Special Chief Secretary, Agriculture, Poonam Malakondaiah, Special Chief Secretary, Municipal Administration and Urban Development, Y. Srilakshmi, Special Chief Secretary, Energy, K. Vijayanand, Special Chief Secretary, Finance S.S. Rawat, Special Chief Secretary, Industries, Karikala Valaven, Principal Secretary, Transport M.T. Krishnababu, Principal Secretary, Water Resources Shasibhushan Kumar and other high officials were present.