Naidu public lecture gets overwhelming response

Hyderabad, Sept 21 (INN): On Day 2 of his Singapore visit, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu began his day with a private meeting with Minister S. Iswaran where they discussed about the new Capital Amaravati.

After a lunch meeting with Iswaran, the Chief Minister took part in a public lecture at the Institute of South Asian Studies (ISAS) which was moderated by Ambassador Gopinath Pillai.

Delivering the welcome address, Pillai said that the overwhelming response at ISAS is a mark of Naidu's popularity in Singapore. 'He built the IT sector in Andhra Pradesh and is famously known to be the brain behind Cyberabad. Now, he is building the new capital of Andhra Pradesh, Amaravati,' he elaborated to the audience at ISAS.

Explaining the advantages of the new State of Andhra Pradesh, Pillai said that the state has rich natural and human resources. 'Next year ISAS will have a South Asia Diaspora Meet to which AP is an invite. One more state from India and another state from Pakistan will be the invitees,' he added.

Taking over the dais from Ambassador Pillai, the Chief Minister said that Andhra Pradesh is a new state which is just one year and three months old. Emphasizing the need to nurture the state carefully, he elaborated on developments during his previous stint.

Stating that India is moving in the right direction, the Chief Minister said that India, China and the US will be the leading economies in the world by 2050.

'We have a long sea coast. The advantage we have is that we are the only state with such a long coast on the East and hence, we aim to develop this as Logistics Hub of Southeast Asia. We are ranked second in cargo handling in the country and we will reach the top position,' he added.

The Chief Minister also informed the audience that the state government has recently linked the mighty Godavari and Krishna Rivers in the state, reiterating the fact that hard work and determination will pay off if leaders commit themselves to development.

Despite challenges, the Chief Minister said, the government sees capital building as one of the greatest advantages for the state. 'Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has accepted our invitation to lay the foundation for Amaravati on October 22nd. I will be meeting Singapore Prime Minister tomorrow, to invite him for the historic occasion on October 22nd,' the Chief Minister added.

Recalling his first visit to Singapore last year, the Chief Minister said: 'I first asked them to come up with a Master Plan for our Capital. They did. Now, I'm now asking Singapore to join us to build our capital. I'm hopeful they will come forward to do this as well,' he said, adding that Amaravati will not only serve as an administrative area but also model itself as a economy and knowledge driver.

'I'm also happy to inform you that our state has been ranked second in 'Ease of Doing Business' by World Bank., after Gujarat. I'm confident that we will rise to the top spot next year. We will be a distant number one.'

From tourism to logistics agriculture, infrastructure, industries and other sectors, the Chief Minister elaborated on the potential for investments in Andhra Pradesh. 'We are aiming at Double-digital growth. I'm confident that AP will rise to become one of top most states in India. I invite each one of you to come to AP at least with one project. Come, experience AP and invest in our state,' he added.

The Chief Minister also explained about the initiatives of creating social capital through women Self-help Groups. 'SHG women have emerged as a strong and independent force in the state. They are rural entrepreneurs who lead and inspire the community, are financial independent and eventually, empower the society. They make their own goods and sell them online.'

Meanwhile, an entrepreneur who has an industry in AP, said he suffered from lack of power for last five years. 'After Chandrababu Naidu became the Chief Minister of new AP, within a few months, there were no power cuts,' he quipped, adding that he wanted to share his experience and show that in AP the government works.

To this, the Chief Minister replied saying: 'We have given priority to power sector. Now, we our T & D losses stand at 10.4%. We will soon bring it down to to single digit.'