VIJAYAWADA: The State is on the path of industrial development and it is evident with Andhra Pradesh achieving No 1 rank in the country in Ease of Doing Business, Minister for Industries Gudivada Amarnath has said. Participating in a short discussion on ‘Industrial Development - Investments - Financial Growth in the State’ in the Assembly on Friday, he said 99 large and mega industries were set up in the last three years.
“A total investment of Rs 46,280.53 crore was brought to the State. As many as 35,181 MSME units were set up with a total investment of Rs 9,742.51 crore. While the large industries provided employment to 62,541 people, MSMEs generated 2,11,374 jobs. As many as 45 IT firms were set up with an investment of Rs 145 crore, providing employment to 19,983 people,” he explained.
The minister claimed that the YSRC government had created more jobs than any other regime in the past in the last three years. The village/ward secretariat system generated 1.3 lakh jobs. Another 40,000 jobs were generated with the merger of APSRTC with the State government. In the health sector, 40,000 more jobs were created. “Industries and IT firms have created a total of 3 lakh jobs,” he elaborated.
Mentioning the sanction of a bulk drug park for Andhra Pradesh by the Centre, he said some more big industrial projects will be taken up in the State soon. “What we are listing out are not industries for which MoUs signed during partnership summit. All the mentioned industries have started production. It is unfortunate that the Opposition TDP, which speaks tall on industrial development, has vehemently opposed setting up of bulk drug park in the State,” he deplored. Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy will speak on industrial development in the State Assembly on Monday.