Telugu Desam Party MP Lavu Srikrishnadevarayalu participated in an all-party meeting held in New Delhi on Tuesday and raised issues relating to Andhra Pradesh as well as national concerns.
Speaking to the media after the meeting, Mr. Srikrishnadevarayalu said he stressed the need for a discussion in Parliament on restricting access to social media for children below 16 years of age. He also drew attention to the confusion arising from the replacement of excise duty on tobacco with GST, stating that the tobacco trade had come to a standstill, causing severe distress to farmers in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. He urged that the issue be taken up in Parliament and resolved at the earliest.
The MP also sought statutory status for Andhra Pradesh’s capital, Amaravati. Referring to the Purvodaya scheme, which covers States such as Odisha and West Bengal, he said Andhra Pradesh should also be included and the matter discussed in Parliament. He criticised the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission, pointing out that while ₹26,000 crore had been approved for Andhra Pradesh, only ₹2,000 crore of Central funds were utilised, forcing the State to meet its share from its own resources. He added that the State was now prepared to utilise higher allocations if funds were released and called for a detailed discussion on the issue in Parliament.
The all-party meeting in Delhi was chaired by Union Ministers Kiren Rijiju and Rajnath Singh ahead of the upcoming Budget session of Parliament.
Published – January 27, 2026 08:51 pm IST
