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Downloaded from http://smartprep.in Downloaded from http://smartprep.in Polvaram on the swing With Centre coming forward to fund Polavaram project, Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu is leading from the front to make the multi-purpose irrgiation project a reality. Besides personally monitoring the progress, the CM is frequently making field visits to expedite the works. Downloaded from http://smartprep.in C O N T E N T S Nabard ready to fully fund Polavaram AP Protests againt illegal Projects On 21 5 Krishna river The CM is expediting the works even as Nabard is all set to release the first in - stalment of loan to the P.olavaram Project Authority in October. Nostalgic CM foresees 16 Journalist and great better Tomorrow editor of pre-inde - 6 pendence era C Y 22 Chintamani AP and the story of Special Happening Andhra Status Various developments across the 32 state of Andhra Pradesh. CbDT extends 5-yr Int’l brICS Poetry festival 11 17 tax sops to 7 districts 28 What the centre offered.. Succour to the 12 Unorganised Workers 15 Winds of Change Snapshot 34 Chief Minister’s Stree Nidhi loans 29 Social Network State concern over tax 15 admn 30 Cairn to spend $150 million in AP AP Achieves 100% 20 Electrification Downloaded from http://smartprep.in ANDHRA PRADESH EDITORIAL Published Monthly In English & Telugu Volume:11 October 2016 Issue:4 Salivahana Era 1938 Forget labels, look at funding Commissioner At last, there is clarity on the special assistance to be provided to S Venkateswar IIS Andhra Pradesh by the Centre. Even while expressing his displeasure at being denied the promised Special Category Status, Chief Minister Editor Chandrababu Naidu wisely chose to accept the Special Package an - Ramesh Babu Kandula nounced by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. Executive Editor There were some vain attempts at provoking the public opinion NCoavreers Pha gNe unna against the state leadership for welcoming the Package. Interestingly, CM’s heli-visit of Polavaram these are the same people who, during the process of bifurcation, in - Second Cover dulged in political one-upmanship instead of coming up with con - Polavaram works take off crete demands for the development of successor state Third Cover post-bifurcation. CM in various proigrammes As a result, Andhra Pradesh has been left reeling under the impact Fourth Cover of irrational division. APIIC Advt on Sunrise State By resorting to the same tactics, the detractors seem hell bent on causing irreparable damage to the future of Andhra Pradesh over the Published by: recent announcement by central government. In insisting that the Information & Public Relations CM should not accept the Package, their intentions appear motivated Department by political calculations rather than the long-term interests of the Government of Andhra Pradesh state. Hyderabad - 500 028 While the Chief Minister kept up the pressure over Special Status till Ph: 040-23300258 the last minute, he left no stone unturned in the alternative scenario to extract as many benefits to the state as possible. This is what a Views expressed by various pragmatic leader would do in the face of hard realities. authors in this issue reflect their personal opinions. The Package indeed provided some real benefits to the state, includ - ing full funding of the prestigious Polavaram project, and liberal Design grant of funds for externally aided projects. Even while acknowledg - Karthik Beesu ing the aid being provided by the centre, the Chief Minister has not been shy of seeking more relief to the beleagured state. Photos: At this critical juncture, there is no point in sticking on to labels, T.Srinivasa Reddy, Vijayawada when what is important is real help to kickstart economy. Printed at Caxton Offset Pvt. Ltd. Hyderabad Each Issue : Rs 5/- Annual Subscription : Rs 50/- www.andhrapradeshmagazine.org Email: [email protected] Ramesh Babu Kandula www.ipr.ap.nic.in Editor Ramesh babu kandula M/s Caxton Offset Pvt. Ltd Printed and Published by on behalf of Director/Commissioner, Information and Public Relations Dept.; Printed at ., 11.5.416/3, Red Hills, Hyderabad - 500 004; Published at Office of Director/Commissioner , 4 I&PR Dept, Govt of Andhra Pradesh, SamachAaNr DBhHaRvaA nP, ARCA GDuEarSdH s,M HAydGerAabZaINd E- 5.O00R0G 28. Editor: Ramesh Babu Kandula. OCTOBER 2016 Ph: 040-23300258. Downloaded from http://smartprep.in NaBard ready to fully fuNd POLAVARAM he National Bank for Agri - Nabard officials asked about the scale A 5.5-km spillway and spill channel culture and Rural Develop - of finance, the period of the project were being constructed to enable dis - ment (Nabard) has in and the year-wise instalment required charge of 50 lakh cusecs of water, the principle agreed to fund for its completion. largest in the world. “Godavari had the entire Polavaram proj - The State Water Resources officials seen a (flood) discharge of 36 lakh ect and even pay what the State gov - also had a meeting with their Central cusecs of water in a day. The highest ernment has spent on the project till government counterparts and fol - discharge from Krishna was 11 lakh now. lowed up the progress in the matter of cusecs. So, we have designed Talking to the media after a two-hour the Polavaram project. Polavaram for a discharge of 50 lakh cusecs,” he said. meeting with Nabard Chairman Harsh Meanwhile, Chief Minister Kumar Bhanwala in New Delhi, Union Chandrababu Naidu inspected the The Chief Minister said he would Minister of State YS Chowdary said the ongoing works at Polavaram and said henceforth conduct a virtual inspec - bank would release the first instal - his government would make the proj - tion of the project works every Mon - ment of loan to the P.olavaram Project ect a reality by completing the first day, using the cameras positioned at Authority in October. He said since the phase by 2018. “We will not let the site, and conduct a personal in - State government was not directly in - Polavaram remain a dream. We will spection every third Monday of the volved, none of the restrictions appli - make it a reality.” month to ensure the construction ac - cable under the provisions of the tivity went on as planned. While a total of 1,049 lakh cubic Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Man - metres of earthwork was supposed to A Central Water Commission official agement (FRBM) Act would affect the be done as part of the project con - said that the Central Government was project. struction, 410 lakh cubic meters has considering Polavaram as a model Chowdary along with State Water Re - been completed so far. “We have im - project and all the technical know- sources Secretary Shashi Bhushan ported high-powered machinery to how for it would be provided. He said Kumar and Andhra Pradesh Engineer- carry out the earthworks. They have water could be pushed into the canavls in-Chief M Venkateswara Rao held already been deployed and some with the cofferdam itself and work OCTOtaBlkEsR w 2i0t1h6 Nabard officials. AfoNrDeiHgRnA cPoRmApDanEiSeH sM haAvGe AalZsIoN bE.eOenRG should go on simultaneous on the 5 While agreeing to fund the project, the involved in the job,” he said. cofferdam and the regular dam. T Downloaded from http://smartprep.in aP and the story of SPECIAL STATUS here has been heated discussion and debate on the Special Category Status, and Special Pack - age that the Centre an - nounced for Andhra Pradesh. What does Special Package entail to AP in terms of funds and projects? Is is wise to reject the Special Package that the Centre offered and continue to insist on Specia Category, even though the union government is clear that it was no longer an option in the changed scenario? To understand all aspects of this issue and why the state welcomed the Package even while demanding more benefits, we have to analyse twhis matter in detail. AP, when it was divided, was given twhe following major assurances: Section 90 of AP Reorganization w Act: Polavaram project back to states. It used to be given as Special Category States get extra Section 94: Tax incentives to pro - 1.Plan and 2.Non plan funds. funds only for Plan expenditure. Not mote industrialization Non plan funds are used for state for non plan expenditure. w PM’s statement on 20-2-2014 in govt employees salaries, welfare In 1968, Planning Commission gave RS: Special Category Status for 5 programs etc. special grants to Nagaland, Assam years Non-plan funds are to be allocated and J&K as part of plan funds due to 14th Finance Commission: To as - by a Finance Commission to be con - their special needs. sess resource gap and devolve ac - stituted every five years. Every Fi - In 1973, during the Fifth Plan pe - cordingly nance Commission will have its own riod, they were extended to 7 more NThoewre, a wreh saevte irsa lt ohtihse cr rperoavtiusiroe ns set of criteria to allocate funds and states, covering all the North East Tcbuatl lneodt rSepleevacniat lf oSrt tahteu dsis? cussion the criteria keep changing. states. In 1992/93, a committee was on Special Status. Plan funds used to be allocated by formed to evaluate the efficacy of Planning Commission. They also these special grants when Pranab have varying criteria for every plan Mukherji was Chairman, Planning period of five years. These funds are Commission. They came out with 6 Out of the tax revenue of central ANDHfRoAr PdRevAeDloEpSmH MenAtaGl AprZoINjeEc.tOs RliGke what is called Gadgil-OMCuTkOheBrEjRee 2 f0o1r 6- government, certain portion is given roads, irrigation etc. mula. Downloaded from http://smartprep.in the 11 states will continue to be treated as Special States though the central government discarded the use of the term ‘Special Category State’.