GUNTUR: Energy Minister Gottipati Ravikumar has announced that all necessary steps will be taken to ensure the overall development of Bapatla district by focusing on agriculture, aquaculture, and tourism.
He was speaking at a district-level awareness meeting on ‘Swarnandhra 2047,’ held at the Bapatla Collectorate on Monday. Bapatla district Collector J Venkata Murali highlighted that the district generates an annual income of Rs 34,336 crore, with Rs 19,260 crore from agriculture, Rs 5,526 crore from industries, Rs 9,549 crore from the service sector, Rs 7,734 crore from aquaculture, and Rs 694 crore from mining.
Minister Ravikumar mentioned that the Union Government’s ‘Viksit Bharat’ initiative aims to position India as the third-largest economy.
He emphasised that providing irrigation water to every acre of agricultural land in Bapatla would significantly boost the agriculture sector. The modernisation of the Buckingham Canal could improve boat transport and increase income while reducing pollution.
He also noted the importance of reconstructing the 13th-century Motupalli Vodarevu to support the local aquaculture industry and called for better security at beaches, predicting that such improvements could raise the weekly tourist count from 2,000 to 10,000.
Revenue Minister Anagani Satya Prasad stressed that poverty reduction is the primary goal of ‘Swarnandhra 2047.’
He urged for improvements in living standards, particularly through better health and education services, and encouraged officials to work together for the district’s development. Transponders, designed by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), were distributed to local aqua farmers during the event.