VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has directed officials to prepare district economic profiles within two months to identify sector-specific growth opportunities.
Reviewing the progress of the Visakhapatnam, Amaravati and Tirupati Economic Regions at the Secretariat on Monday, Naidu instructed officials to prepare the master plans for the Amaravati and Tirupati Economic Regions within six months, following the unveiling of the Visakhapatnam Economic Region plan.
The draft master plans should be placed in the public domain to invite suggestions from citizens and public representatives.
The Chief Minister also directed officials to formulate plans for hosting international sporting events in Amaravati, Tirupati and Visakhapatnam and develop Sports Cities in all three regions through public-private partnerships.
He called for a master plan to develop Suryalanka Beach and other coastal destinations and said the proposed Visakhapatnam Bay City should be built around three pillars-coastal tourism, a global business and innovation ecosystem, and world-class living standards to attract global talent.
Officials informed the Chief Minister that 3,291 acres of government land had been identified for the 51.88 sq. km. Bay City project.
They said 49 projects had been taken up in the Visakhapatnam Economic Region, of which 18 were under implementation, 12 were ready for grounding and 19 were in various stages of planning.
Tirupati is rich in mineral resources, horticulture & religious tourism: CM
Naidu set a target of attracting an international convention centre, hotels and IT projects within the next three months and proposed developing the Araku-Paderu-Visakhapatnam circuit as an integrated tourism destination. With regard to the Amaravati Economic Region, officials said it accounts for 32 per cent of Andhra Pradesh’s population and covers 33 per cent of the State’s geographical area.
The region comprises nine districts and has strong growth potential because of its central location and skilled workforce. He directed officials to prepare development plans focusing on sectors such as aquaculture, palm oil, cocoa and tourism around Kolleru Lake.
Emphasising the strengths of the Tirupati Economic Region, Naidu said its rich mineral resources, horticulture, religious tourism, educational institutions and industrial infrastructure make it a strong investment destination.
He highlighted opportunities in sectors such as aerospace, defence, drones, renewable energy, automobiles, food processing and electronics manufacturing, while calling for integrated development of tourism destinations including Gandikota, Horsley Hills and Talakona.
Naidu said the progress of all three Economic Regions would be reviewed once every two months. He asserted that to transform Rayalaseema into a global horticulture hub citing Lingala mandal in Kadapa district as a model of how horticulture can drive prosperity and significantly enhance rural incomes.
Naidu said horticulture would be the growth engine of the Tirupati Economic Region (TER) and instructed officials to promote the cultivation of more than 25 horticultural crops. He said the sector should receive top priority in the TER master plan, noting that investments worth `40,000 crore are under Purvodaya program.