Amaravati, May 8: N. Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday announced that local body elections in Andhra P radesh would be conducted soon while reviewing governance, infrastructure development and investment implementation during a conference of district Collectors held at the State Secretariat in Amaravati.
The Chief Minister chaired an extensive review meeting covering the performance of various government departments and implementation of development programmes at the field level.
Discussions during the conference focused on key sectors including education, healthcare, industrial investments, logistics infrastructure, agriculture and public service delivery.
Naidu informed officials that preparations for local body elections were underway and stated that the polls would be held shortly.
The Chief Minister also directed district Collectors to actively encourage the growth of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector, stressing that increasing industrial investments in the state would create substantial opportunities for ancillary industries.
He said MSMEs should play a critical role in the industrial ecosystem evolving around large investments coming into Andhra Pradesh and asked officials to resolve issues faced by investors without delay, particularly matters related to land allocation.
Naidu highlighted the need to transform products from different districts into nationally and globally recognised brands, drawing comparisons with the success achieved by Araku Coffee.
The Chief Minister also referred to recent developments in the technology sector and said the establishment of the Google Cloud Artificial Intelligence Hub in Andhra Pradesh had attracted investment interest from Carrier Air Conditioning company.
According to him, the company would supply bulk chillers required for data centres and quantum computing facilities planned in the state.
Naidu further stated that a Quantum Reference facility had already been established in Amaravati and said the operationalisation of the upcoming Quantum Computing Centre would help create an ecosystem for manufacturing specialised equipment linked to advanced technologies.
He reiterated that MSMEs should become an integral part of the evolving technology and industrial ecosystem.
Highlighting the importance of infrastructure and logistics, the Chief Minister said reduction in transportation costs was essential for accelerating economic growth and industrial competitiveness.
He informed officials that 64 national highway projects worth over Rs 1 lakh crore are currently being developed in Andhra Pradesh. In addition, 624 railway projects worth Rs 64,000 crore are under construction across the state.
He also revealed that infrastructure projects worth nearly Rs 2 lakh crore are presently in the Detailed Project Report (DPR) stage.
Naidu stated that future infrastructure expansion plans include express train systems, local rail networks and expansion of railway corridors into four-line routes.
He said the establishment of logistics parks across Andhra Pradesh would generate significant economic activity and strengthen connectivity for industries and businesses.
Referring to the possible impact of El Niño conditions, the Chief Minister cautioned officials that rainfall may remain below normal this year and instructed district Collectors to prepare precautionary measures in advance.
He directed officials to formulate water management strategies suitable for rainfed agriculture, dryland farming and horticulture crops while also ensuring sufficient fodder supply for livestock.
The Chief Minister also proposed adoption of certain governance practices inspired by Singapore, stating that the country’s administrative systems had earned public trust through efficient governance mechanisms.
He suggested that Andhra Pradesh develop one district as a model district by implementing selected Singapore-style governance practices and asked officials to prepare a 90-day action plan for implementation and monitoring.
Naidu further urged district Collectors to adopt innovative technologies and governance models to improve public satisfaction in delivery of government services and welfare programmes.
He also advised officials to effectively utilise social media platforms to communicate government achievements and developmental progress to the public.
