N Chandrababu Naidu seeks aid for debt-ridden Andhra Pradesh

New Delhi, July 5

Weeks before the Union Budget 2024-25 presentation, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Friday met Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and sought enhanced financial support to the debt-burdened state, highlighting various ongoing projects that needed urgent central assistance.

“The CM presented a detailed memorandum outlining the state’s financial requirements and the rationale behind the demand for increased allocation,” sources said, adding that TDP ministers in the Union Cabinet were also present during the meeting in North Block.

He was also understood to have sought resolution of pending issues stemming from the bifurcation of the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh.

Sitharaman gave a patient hearing to Naidu’s concerns and assured him that she will look into Andhra Pradesh’s demands within the broader fiscal constraints, the sources said.

According to official data, the public debt of Andhra has increased from 31.02 per cent of the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) in 2019-20 to 33.32 per cent in 2023-24 fiscal.