CM Naidu Urges Announcement of BPCL Refinery for Andhra in Budget

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu held a series of meetings with Union ministers on Thursday to press for various state-centric issues, foremost among them being the demand for a BPCL refinery announcement in the upcoming Union Budget. Naidu emphasized the significance of this refinery for the state's economic development and urged the Centre to set up a mechanism for effective coordination with the state government.

During his discussions with Home Minister Amit Shah, Naidu sought assistance in resolving pending issues stemming from the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014, including asset division and financial matters between power distribution companies. He also highlighted the need for a review of the Andhra cadre of the IPS and sought funds for establishing Greyhounds Training Centres.

Meeting with Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, Naidu sought support for key infrastructure projects like the Outer Ring Road in Amaravati and the expansion of the Hyderabad-Vijayawada highway, stressing their importance for enhancing connectivity in the state.

Addressing Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, Naidu appealed for financial grants to develop essential external infrastructure for industrial nodes along the Chennai-Bengaluru Industrial Corridor within Andhra Pradesh.

To Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Naidu proposed the sanctioning of an integrated aqua park, policies to increase subsidies for horticulture farmers, and the release of pending central shares for agriculture schemes.Seeking support from Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, Naidu proposed initiatives to promote Vizag-Kakinada as a Green Hydrogen manufacturing hub.

Naidu also met with Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri to advocate for the establishment of a BPCL refinery in Andhra Pradesh, emphasizing its potential contribution to the country's refining capacity and development goals.

The discussions culminated with a productive meeting with Sixteenth Finance Commission Chairman Arvind Panagariya, as confirmed by an official statement from the Andhra Pradesh government.

BS