Enough funds given to Andhra Pradesh: Venkaiah Naidu

Hyderabad, March 1 (IANS) Parliamentary Affairs Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu on Sunday disagreed with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu's view that Union Budget 2015-16 failed to fulfill the promises made to the state at the time of its bifurcation.

"I think we should see by combining both the 14th Finance Commission report and the Budget. If we see it collectively then Andhra Pradesh has got a lot of money and that is the assessment of the central government and the union finance Minister is also telling the same," Naidu said at a media briefing here.

"There is a need to study this in depth. If there are any shortcomings, certainly the central government is ready to do necessary follow up. We are thinking in that direction and to work it out," he added.

As per the 14th Finance Commission's recommendations, the residuary state of Andhra Pradesh would get a total of Rs.2,06,819 crore as a result of enhanced devolution during the next five years. This comes to Rs.41,364 crore per year, the union minister said.

"Accordingly, AP gets an additional Rs.29,374 crore per year during the next five years as per the recommendations of the 14th Finance Commission," he added.

To Chandrababu Naidu's reaction that Andhra Pradesh got a raw deal in the union budget, the union urban development minister said he had askied the Andhra chief minister to fix a meeting with union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to address his grievance.

"I have told him (Chandrababu Naidu), if there is a need, he can speak to union finance minister and the prime minister also," Naidu said.

"It is wrong to say there is bias against Andhra Pradesh and injustice has been meted out to the state. I agree that what they were expecting they might not have got," he added.

"With regard to promises made to both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, they were still very much there. On availability of resources, we will fulfil them," Naidu said.

Meanwhile, the parliamentary affairs ministry Sunday said parliament will take up bills replacing ordinances, including on coal mines and insurance, in the second week of the budget session beginning Monday