AP to ask Centre to implement XII Finance Panel recommendations

Hyderabad, July 8 (UNI) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy today said he would exert pressure on the Centre to implement the recommendations of the XII Finance Commission to help the state implement its free power scheme.

Thanking friends and well-wishers for birthday wishes, Dr Reddy, in a statement from Maldives, said if the recommendations were implemented, Andhra Pradesh would get 50 share of the royalty on natural resources enabling it to implement the free power scheme.

The state had already prepared plans to utilise the vast natural gas resources in the Krishna-Godavari Basin.

Stating that 12,000 million units of power were required for agriculture pumpsets and 4,830 million units for lift irrigation projects, Dr Reddy said the government could meet the demand by properly tapping natural gas in the Krishna-Godavari Basin which would be available by June next year.

Dr Reddy said the domestic rates would come down once the gas became available from the basin. He would also request Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to help the people of the state on a long term basis by using the gas reserves.

The government also proposed to take up high-speed rail corridor project between Hyderabad and Machilipatnam which would connect all ports and airports on the corridor.

Officials had been directed to prepare a report on the project modelled on the lines of the proposed Delhi-Mumbai Corridor. The state would urge the Centre for funds, he added.

UNI