Naidu seeks Centre’s hand-holding help to develop State

Stressing on the need to create a knowledge-based economy towards achieving sustainable and inclusive growth, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu said the State needs hand-holding from the Centre until it reaches on par with other progressive States in the country.

            In a meeting with Niti-Aayog Vice-Chairman Arvind Panagaria here on Thursday, the Chief Minister said the Union government must create conducive environment for the neighboring states while providing necessary assistance to States to overcome hurdles.

“Andhra Pradesh is home to vast natural resources, enormous land bank and constant electricity; all we require is Centre’s assistance to create wonders,” he said. He also elaborated the challenges the truncated State had to endure post-bifurcation problems. “The State was formed without a capital, but we have determined to take each challenge as an opportunity to develop the State”, he added.

0.5in; background-image: initial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); background-repeat: initial;">The Chief Minister explained to Panagaria as how Andhra Pradesh recovered from a power deficit State into a power-surplus State. He also said interlinking of rivers the Godavari and the Krishna was a glorious achievement of the government that will solve water woes for parched Rayalaseema region. Given that the State government was determined towards port-based development, he said, adding that the State was competing with leading States Gujarat and Maharashtra to be number one in exports. In this regard, he requested Niti-Aayog Vice-Chairman to support his State by facilitating investments that will bolster Andhra Pradesh’s efforts to emerge as the gateway for Southeast Asia. He also exuded confidence that the Chennai-Bengaluru and Visakhapatnam-Chennai industrial corridors will give a major facelift to the industrial sector in the State.

Meanwhile, officials gave a detailed presentation on how countries like South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan and China achieved tremendous growth rate in a short time.  They also pointed out that there was an unexpected increase in employment opportunities in the fields of agriculture and allied sectors. Agriculture contributes to 15% GDP and 49% of Indian population was largely dependent on it should be a matter of consideration, they noted.

Finance Minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu, Chief Secretary IYR Krishna Rao, Special Chief Secretary S.P. Tucker, Principal Secretary (Finance) Dr. P.V. Ramesh, State Planning Board Vice-Chairman Kutumba Rao and others were present.