Chief Minister meets Union Ministers in New Delhi, seeks release of funds for AP

Release of Rs 285 crore for restoring 297 water resources under Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana:CM
CM seeks central support to complete Polavaram project before 2027 Godavari Pushkarams
CM urges Union Minister not to issue gazette notification for increasing height of Almatti dam until Supreme Court final verdict

New Delhi: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu urged the Central Government to release funds for various centrally sponsored schemes and fulfil earlier financial commitments made to the state.

The Chief Minister during his Delhi visit today met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R Patil, seeking support for pending projects. During his meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the Chief Minister requested financial assistance for pending bifurcation-related commitments, along with support for various infrastructure and development projects in Andhra Pradesh. He appealed for continued cooperation beyond allocations made in the current Union Budget to accelerate the state’s development.

Later, in his meeting with Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R Patil, the Chief Minister sought Central support to complete the prestigious national project before 2027 Godavari Pushkarams.He emphasised the importance of completing structures required for storing water up to 41.15 metres in the first phase. Chandrababu Naidu informed the Minister that he had personally visited the Polavaram project site five times to monitor progress.

The Chief Minister noted that the new diaphragm wall construction was completed on April 2, 2026, while major works related to the Earth-cum-Rock Fill (ECRF) dam in Gap-1 and Gap-2 are progressing rapidly.

He urged the Union Jal Shakti Ministry to permanently withdraw the 2011 stop-work orders, which were issued due to pending public opinion collection in Odisha and Chhattisgarh.

The Chief Minister informed the Union Minister that, considering irrigation requirements, the carrying capacity of both the left and right canals of Polavaram has been increased to 17,500 cusecs, higher than originally planned.

He stated that 95 per cent of right canal works have been completed, 78 percent of the left canal works have been completed.He requested reimbursement of additional expenditure incurred due to the increased canal capacity and sought further financial support for upcoming stages of the project.

The Chief Minister also submitted another letter seeking Central assistance under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) for the restoration, modernization and rehabilitation of irrigation systems across Andhra Pradesh.He requested release of Rs 285 crore for restoring 297 water resources across the state.

Chandrababu Naidu urged Union Minister C.R Patil not to issue a gazette notification for increasing the height of the Almatti Dam until the Supreme Court delivers its final verdict.He cautioned that increasing the dam height from 519.60 metres to 524.256 metres would adversely affect Andhra Pradesh’s water interests and requested that no technical or administrative clearances be granted in the interim.

The Chief Minister also sought directions to Karnataka to halt land acquisition and preparatory works under the Upper Krishna Project Phase-III, maintaining the status quo until the Supreme Court’s final judgment.

The Chief Minister requested Central approval for the Polavaram–Banakacherla Link Project, aimed at addressing water scarcity in Rayalaseema and South Coastal Andhra Pradesh.He explained that the project is designed to divert 200 TMC of surplus Godavari floodwaters that currently flowing into the sea, thereby enhancing irrigation and drinking water availability.On the Vamsadhara Neradi Barrage, the Chief Minister said Andhra Pradesh would proceed in accordance with the issued gazette notification and proposed the construction of a right-side head sluice with a carrying capacity of 8,000 cusecs to meet the state’s water requirements.

He further requested the Union Jal Shakti Ministry to direct Odisha to facilitate the required land acquisition for the project.

Minister for Water Resources Nimmala Ramanaidu and senior officials accompanied the Chief Minister during the meetings.