AP State aims to be global destination

Amaravati: Governor E S L Narasimhan, in his address to the State Legislature Assembly on Monday, said under the leadership of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, the state could convert every crisis into an opportunity.

“Our vision is to build a happy, inclusive and innovative society and we aspire to be among the three best states in India by 2022, be the best state in the country by 2029 and a global destination by 2050.

We have to work hard to realise our dream of being not only the foremost State in the country, but a power to reckon with in Asia Pacific Region and a global destination. I reassure the people of this state that my government will not rest till our dreams are realised to be happy, inclusive and innovative society and till the fruits of development reach the last man,” the Governor said.

The government could accomplish a growth rate of 11.31 per cent on average for three years (including the current year’s half- year growth performance of 11.37 per cent) as against the India’s growth rate of 6.97 per cent for the same period despite 30 per cent deficit rainfall registered in the state, he said.

The government has identified High Impact Priority Projects and established the Chief Minister’s Delivery Unit (CM-DU) for strategic planning, problem solving, monitoring and accelerating the pace of these projects. Some of these projects include Jakkampudi Footwear city, Convention city, Sports city in Vizag, Defence city in Kurnool, Apparel city in Anantapur, Food Processing city in Chittoor and East Godavari, Vizag-Chennai and Chennai-Bengaluru industrial corridors, Amaravati-Anantapur Express Highway, development of airports and ports.

Sustained efforts for productivity enhancement are expected to result in increase of food grain production from 149.16 lakh metric tonnes in 2016-2017 to 157.59 lakh metric tonnes in 2017-2018. The government has implemented agriculture debt redemption scheme with an outlay of Rs 24,000 crore, so far Rs 13,976 crore is adjusted to 11.6 lakh accounts.

The State envisions to become an Aqua Culture hub. It has already Rs 43,538 crore worth production and exports. The government has set a target of 50 per cent green cover by 2029 for making the State Haritha-Andhra Pradesh.

The government inaugurated eight prioritised irrigation projects and 29 proposed projects during the last one year. As many as 15 irrigation projects are at various stages and all would be completed by June this year. During the last three years, a total of 13.61 lakh acres of ayacut was created by spending Rs 48,474 crore, Narasimhan said.

Linking Godavari to Penna, Vamshadhara to Nagavali, Nagavali-Suvarnamukhi, Vegavathi-Champavathi with the Pavitra Sangamam of Godavari-Krishna River link in a phased manner will make Maha Sangamam a sacred linking of five rivers, he announced.

Rs 5,487 crore is allocated for education-related schemes of SCs, Rs 59.87 crore is released for farmers of coffee plantation. Araku coffee now has its presence in Paris, he said.

The new scheme of NTR Videsi Vidyadarana and Unnatha Vidyadarana have already been launched and post-matriculation scholarships are being sanctioned to the Kapu students, he said.