Demanding Special Category Status is our right: Chandrababu Naidu

Amaravati: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said that demanding implementation of AP Reorganisaction Act and Special Category Status was the right of Andhra Pradesh and the state government would not relent until the Centre fulfilled all promises.

Addressing a programme on E-Pragati at his residence in Undavalli on Friday, the Chief Minister said the state government was fighting only for the implementation of AP Reorganisation Act and other promises made in Parliament. 

“The Centre did not fulfil the promises. So I chose the way of fighting the Centre for safeguarding the interests of the state,” he said. Stating that he would complete 40 years of his political career by February 27, Naidu said he would always endeavour to utilise better chances and do something better. “We will not compromise on the development of the state and our fight will also continue simultaneously to protect interests of the state,” he said.  

The Chief Minister felicitated participants of a joint certificate programme called 'Digital Transformation in Public Governance’, supported by the state government and Indian School of Business (ISB) in which 96 officers from 51 departments participated.

The Chief Minister said, “Because of e-Pragati, ministries, departments and all officers are under scrutiny. The number of days to dispose of a file has become a matter of competition between secretaries as well as ministers. The next goal is to ensure qualitative disposal,” he said.  

He also spoke about the goal of ensuring that every family in AP would have one digitally literate person. “Technology is constantly changing, and I want the people of my state to have easy access to it,” he said.

In his address, IT minister Nara Lokesh urged the officials of all departments to participate in this transition to seamless, paperless and real-time governance. “Data should be democratised, which leads to transparency of the state, and the fulfilment of the vision: Visible Governance and Invisible Government,” he said.

IT Advisor J Satyanarayana spoke about the journey of the idea of an integrated platform for all departments of the government. He lauded the Chief Minister’s vision of a citizen-centric governance model. 

Civil supplies minister Prathipati Pulla Rao, social welfare minister Nakka Ananda Babu, CEO of e-Pragati N Balasubramanyam and Principal Secretary (IT) K Vijayanand, dean of ISB Raj Srivastava and executive director of SRITNE Deepa Mani participated.