With Prime Minister Narendra Modi laying great deal of stress on bettering Centre-State relations, States have started rushing to the Centre with their wish lists. While Chief Minister designate of Seemandhra Chandrababu Naidu on Friday called on Modi and his Cabinet colleagues, including Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, seeking support for the new State, about half-a-dozen other Chief Ministers are slated to meet Modi next week.
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik reached the Capital on Friday evening and is scheduled to meet Modi in the next couple of days. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan have also sought appointments in the first week of June. Bihar Chief Minister Manjhi too has reminded Modi about the special status for Bihar.
Naidu met several Ministers as part of the series of meetings to discuss the requirements of residual Andhra Pradesh post bifurcation. “The Government of India had, at that time, announced a special package for Seemandhra and industrial incentives for Seemandhra and Telangana. For all these things, they have to issue GOs and take Cabinet decisions also,” Naidu said. The Chief Minister-designate said that he had sought incentives and financial assistance to bring both the States — Seemandhra and Telangana at par.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley assured Naidu that all commitments made to residual Andhra Pradesh will be fulfilled. “The Centre has promised to fulfil all commitments made to Seemandhra. We have already started working,” Jaitley told reporters after meeting Naidu.Naidu also called on Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti and sought speedy implementation of the Polavaram multi-purpose project and met HRD Minister Smriti Irani seeking the Centre’s help in establishment of academic and top institutes in the State.
Patnaik who reached New Delhi on Friday evening reviewed the important issues that need to be taken up during his meeting with Modi and Union Ministers. He is likely to raise the Polavaram multi-purpose project, which the State is opposing and also press for special category status for Odisha.
Jayalalithaa will meet Modi on June 3 and push for Central assistance for her State.The meeting is scheduled against the backdrop of Jayalalithaa boycotting Modi’s swearing-in ceremony on May 26 to protest against Sri lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s presence at the event.
She had earlier dubbed as “unfortunate” the invitation to Rajapaksa.Although Jayalalithaa had boycotted the swearing-in ceremony of Modi as Prime Minister, the two leaders are known to share cordial ties.
While Modi had attended her swearing-in as Chief Minister in 2011, she had returned the favour by participating in Modi’s swearing-in as Gujarat Chief Minister after he retained power in the 2012 Assembly elections.Jayalalithaa will present a memorandum to the PM with some crucial issues relating to Tamil Nadu which have been pending with the Government of India. The memorandum will also highlight some issues which require the urgent attention of the Centre “to safeguard the legitimate interests of the State and to propel the State on a faster growth path.”
Kerala’s Congress Chief Minister Oommen Chandy will call on the PM on Monday. Chandy too had skipped the swearing-in ceremony of Modi as Prime Minister due to “pre-scheduled” programmes. He is expected to discuss with Modi the development needs of Kerala.
MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan has also directed his officials to prepare the State’s charter of demand from the Centre when he meets Modi on June 2. Bihar Chief Minister Manjhi has also directed officials to prepare a charter of demands for the State which he would hand over to Modi reminding of the pre-poll promises he had made.
“After the charter of demands is prepared I will seek time from Prime Minister Modi and hand it over to him. I will remind him of each and every promise he has made to the people of Bihar including the special category issue for the State,” Manjhi said at Gaya. Carrying forward the key demands for special category status for the State, Manjhi had raked up the demand when Modi had called him after he took over as the CM of Bihar.