Amid the friction between the TDP and BJP over the poor allocation of funds to Andhra in the recent Union Budget, the Centre on Saturday released a grant of Rs 1,269 crore to the state for different purposes, as per a PTI report.
According to the report, the Centre released Rs 417.44 crore for the Polavaram project, which had found no mention in the 2018 Budget, thereby infuriating the TDP.
The grant of Rs 417.44 crore was a reimbursement for the Rs 3,217.63 crore spent by the state on the project.
So far, the Centre has released Rs 4,329 crore for the project, while the state government has spent over Rs 7,200 crore on the national irrigation project.
"The release (of Rs 417.44 crore) is towards the amount already utilised by the state against the irrigation component (of Polavaram) after April 1, 2014," an order issued by the Union water resources ministry's senior joint commissioner, RPS Verma, said.
The Centre also released a grant of Rs 253.74 crore as basic grant to urban local bodies in the state.
A sum of Rs 369.16 crore was released under the post-devolution revenue deficit grant, as per the recommendation of the 14th Finance Commission.
A grant of Rs 196.92 crore was released for the Anganwadi services scheme and the supplementary nutrition programme and another Rs 31.76 crore for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme, the report said.
The TDP, which is an ally of the BJP, had hinted at parting ways after the recent budget, over the Centre’s meagre allocation of funds to the state and for not honouring the promises as per AP Reorganisation Act.
While the alliance continues, there is an uneasy calm as the MPs from the TDP continued to protest in Parliament with placards over the injustice meted out to the state.
Meanwhile, Jana Sena Party chief and actor Pawan Kalyan on Saturday questioned the alliance between the two parties.
The actor took to Twitter and asked: “The announced “Special Package” by centre & accepted by TDP then - Now People would like to know why the sudden realisation now that it’s not working.” (sic). It may be noted that the actor had earlier campaigned for the TDP-BJP in the 2014 elections.