VIJAYAWADA: Admitting that the process of fulfilling all the promises made to the residuary state of Andhra Pradesh in the AP State Reorganisation Act - 2014 will take more time, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu maintained that all the projects will be realised at the earliest.
In a chit-chat with newsmen at Swarna Bharat Trust in Atkur near Gannavaram of Krishna district on Sunday before winding up his two-day maiden visit to AP after being elected as Vice President, Naidu recalled that though it is unethical for a person who served as President of a national party to speak on behalf of a single state, he raised concerns about the injustice meted out to AP due to the state bifurcation on the floor of Rajya Sabha and succeeded in getting most of the projects approved. He asserted that despite most of the assurances not being mentioned in the AP Reorganisation Act, he has succeeded in including several projects in the Act.
“It will take some years for the completion of medical and educational institutes, ports, airports, national highways and other development projects. Despite knowing the fact, I mounted pressure to include the projects in the Act as they will get realised one day or the other,’’ he said.
Inspiration from RSS
Interacting with students on the sidelines of inaugurating a medical camp at Swarna Bharat Trust, Venkaiah Naidu called upon people to spare some time for the society. Stating that he took inspiration from RSS Pracharak B Durgaprasad of Krishna district in his childhood days, Naidu said that Pracharak was the person who encouraged him to join RSS. “My role model once was Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and after him, I admired Vajpayee and L K Advani,’’ he said.
Responding to declining moral values in education, he felt that there is every need for a total revamp in the education sector. “Education is to acquire knowledge, but now it has just become job oriented. I will suggest to the HRD Minister to give priority for inculcating moral values among students,’’ he said.
“Though I am not in a position to bring reforms in the education system as I am no longer a Minister. But, it is a shame that 30 per cent of people are still illiterate. It is high time that the policy makers concentrate to resolve the issue. I am sure that the Centre will focus its attention towards achieving cent per cent literacy in India,’’ he said.