SRIKAKULAM: Chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu donned the role of a teacher and taught the members of women Self Help Groups (SHGs) about entrepreneurship, during his one-day tour to the district Thursday. He also advised them to learn business and marketing techniques to become successful entrepreneurs by making profits in their endeavours rather than waiting for the government to waive off their loans.
“Repayment of interest-free loans is nothing to feel proud of. Instead, each member of SHGs should be able to give loans to the others apart from earning their own livelihood and providing employment to another 10 people through their business ventures,” he said. The CM exhorted the SHG women to foray into every possible business, ranging from sand quarrying to marketing their products and becoming a part of the service sector to creating awareness on girl education and healthcare issues at village-level.
Addressing the SHG women at Nelivada in Ranasthalam mandal, Chandrababu Naidu said that when he was the chief minister of the united Andhra Pradesh, the state was in the first position in the country and now, it had slipped to third, with Maharashtra and Gujarat overtaking it. “We together should make all efforts to turn the state into ‘Swaranandhra Pradesh’ in all sectors in the next 10 years. There is immense scope for setting up major industries, particularly bulk drug units, to reverse the labour migration from Srikakulam district,” he insisted.
He told the industrialists to provide employment to the locals and assured to conduct skill development programmes for producing workers with the right skill sets. He revealed his grand plans for the state and urged the people to cooperate with the government for realising the vision for turning AP into a model state. He wanted the unions to play a constructive role in the economic growth of the state, while the industry should do its bit for labour welfare and community development. “Industry and tourism are necessary for economic development, but agriculture cannot be neglected. Only then can backward districts like Srikakulam and Vizianagaram can be taken forward.”
The SHG members were also urged to lodge a complaint with the officials concerned if they found any illegal liquor shops in their village. Later, he distributed cheques to the tune of `100 crore to the women towards bank loans.
Earlier in the day, Chandrababu Naidu unveiled the statue of former CM late NT Rama Rao at Pathivadapalem village in Ranasthalam mandal. He promised to complete the Thotapalli Barrage within a year with an expenditure of `300-400 crore. Reiterating his commitment to waive off loans up to `1.5 lakh for farmers and up to `1 lakh for SHGs, he stated that the government would pay `10,000 towards loan waiver scheme for SHGs, which obtained a loan of more than `1 .5 lakh.
CM Reaches Out
Ten women, who were coming from Amudalavalasa to Nelivada to participate in the interactive session, were injured when the private bus they were travelling in rammed into another empty bus. Learning about the incident, the CM announced `10,000 compensation apart from bearing hospital charges for those who underwent treatment at RIMS in Srikakulam.
The police took 15-20 persons into custody when they tried to give a representation to the CM in protest against the proposed nuclear power plant at Kovvada. However, a few agitators and local fishermen managed to reach the CM, during his visit to the VKT Pharma Company, and poured in their woes. They urged him not to encourage the construction of the nuclear power plant, which would destroy their livelihood and also bring about environmental destruction.
Infrastructure, Incentives
Promised for Pharma Cos
The CM assured to provide necessary infrastructure, incentives and skill upgradation facilities for the pharma industry and urged the industrialists to come forward to invest in the state on a large scale. He inaugurated the formulations unit of VKT Pharma Private Limited, which is a company of the SMS Pharma Group, at Derasam village in Ranasthalam mandal of the district Thursday.