VIJAYAWADA: HRD and IT Minister Nara Lokesh on Saturday called upon people to rise above caste, religion and regional differences and work collectively to make Andhra Pradesh the country’s leading State. Addressing the 80th Independence Day celebrations at Makineni Basavapunnaiah Stadium in Ajit Singh Nagar, Vijayawada, he unfurled the National Flag and received the guard of honour.
He said India’s freedom was the result of the sacrifices of millions of freedom fighters and described the Tricolour as a symbol of the nation’s self-respect. Recalling the contributions of Mahatma Gandhi, Rani Lakshmibai, Subhas Chandra Bose, Tanguturi Prakasam Pantulu and Alluri Sitarama Raju, he said Independence Day was not merely a date but a reminder of the country’s history and the responsibility to build its future.
Highlighting Vijayawada’s importance, he described the city as a major centre for education and the arts, referring to the Krishna River, Prakasam Barrage, Undavalli Caves and Kondapalli toys.
The Minister said the government was strengthening public education and claimed that 1.10 lakh students had shifted from private to government schools this year. He said the curriculum had been revised, student kits were being distributed and measures were being taken to instil values and respect for women among students.
He said the government was linking industries with colleges and ITIs to bridge the skill gap and improve employment opportunities. He said faculty recruitment was also being undertaken in higher education.
On State development, the minister said Amaravati would remain the permanent capital and reiterated the government’s policy of “One State-One Capital and decentralised development.”
He said the government had implemented several welfare and development schemes, including pensions, Thalliki Vandanam, Deepam, Stree Shakti, Annadata Sukhibhava, free power for weavers, Matsyakara Bharosa and Anna Canteens. He also highlighted the filling of 16,000 teacher posts through Mega DSC, 6,000 police posts and release of a job calendar with 10,000 posts, besides skill-development and industry-education linkage initiatives. Creating 20 lakh jobs, he said, was his principal objective.
Citing Singapore as an example, he urged people to embrace discipline, hard work and long-term thinking. He credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu for Andhra Pradesh’s development, saying the Centre had extended support for Amaravati, Polavaram, the Visakhapatnam railway zone and the steel plant. He praised Chandrababu’s vision and speed, and said their leadership would help achieve the State’s $2.4 trillion economy target by 2047.
“Independence was achieved by our predecessors; let us together build Golden Andhra Pradesh,” Lokesh said, urging people to make State First their common goal.