Young officers to help investors in AP

HYDERABAD: Henceforth, investors who come forward to set up industries in Andhra Pradesh need not run from pillar to post to get all mandatory approvals from various departments. They will be guided and assisted by young professionals, who have been designated as escort officers, in getting relevant clearances within a span of four weeks.

To put a mechanism in place to ensure that time-bound approvals are given to investors, AP government has trained the first batch of escort officers to assist investors.

Taking its cue from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home state, Gujarat, AP government recently recruited 20 young postgraduates and trained them as escort officers. These officers will act as facilitators.

Trade Promotion Council of AP, along with the industries department, trained the young professionals for two months on how to aid business people in getting approvals from various government departments for their projects within a short span.

According to sources, in the first batch, 20 escort officers were trained. During their training, these officers were taken to Gujarat. There, they were given a guided tour across industrial clusters to familiarise them how their Gujarat counterparts are assisting investors.

'As the AP government has borrowed this system of escort officers from Gujarat, all the trained professionals will follow the functioning of the Industrial Extension Bureau, popularly known as iNDEXTb, in Gujarat, while persuading investors to set up industries in AP,' said the source.

iNDEXTb is a Government of Gujarat organisation established in 1978. It works as a facilitator for entrepreneurs. With the objective of accelerating industrial development in Gujarat, the bureau acts as a single point contact for entrepreneurs for establishing industrial units.

Now, AP government also wants its escort officers to copy the working style of their Gujarat counterparts, who are being guided by iNDEXTb.

According to sources, the AP government is also planning to set up a separate wing soon to propagate industrial policies and attract investments by organising mega events.

In fact, while announcing the State Industrial Policy a few days ago, AP chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu said the government would provide an escort officer to each investor who comes forward to set up a major industry in the state.

AP government appoints escort officers to assist investors in getting approvals from various departments such as forest and environment, Pollution Control Board, electricity department and town planning department within four weeks.

These trained professionals will help the investors right from filling the 'Integrated Application' for all permissions that are required to set up a new industry.

They will propagate the industrial promotional policies of the state.

They will also provide information to entrepreneurs regarding the opportunities available in the State. They will explain the prospect of setting up a new industrial unit in the state.

In case the required approvals are not granted within four weeks of receiving an application in full-shape, according to the government, the approval shall be deemed to have been given.