VIJAYAWADA: In his reply to the Motion of Thanks to the Governor’s address in the State Assembly on Tuesday, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said the previous five-year rule left the State economy in disarray so much so that even presenting a budget has become a problem now. The full budget of the State will be presented after two or three months, he said.
Expressing anguish over how the dream of Amaravati shattered, leaving the State with no capital, Naidu said they will now intensify their efforts to build the State capital and the economy brick by brick. He thanked the Union Government for allocating Rs 15,000 crore in the budget for Amaravati development, which he said bodes well for the future of the State. “Good days have come again for Amaravati,” he observed.
Besides facilitating financial support for Amaravati, the Centre has also assured to complete the construction of the Polavaram Irrigation Project at the earliest. “It has been reported that a parallel diaphragm wall to the earth-cum rock fill dam is needed, which will be taken up soon,” he said.
Naidu expressed happiness over the announcement of additional infrastructure for the industrial nodes of Kopparthy and Orvakal making them part of industrial corridors. “The grant of funds for eight backward districts in the State is a welcome development. We are happy that along with three North Andhra and four Rayalaseema districts, the backward Prakasam district has also been included in the list. Our request for the same has been accepted,” he said.
Mentioning that for the economic growth of the State, the government has no funds, he revealed that they have asked the Centre for funds for capital expenditure, and there has been a positive response. “We are happy to the Centre’s response and this is just a beginning. It is like supplying oxygen to the State economy, which is on a ventilator,” he remarked.
Reiterating his goal of achieving zero poverty in Andhra Pradesh and ensuring Telugu people emerge as number one in the world, Naidu advised legislators to compete with one another in making their respective segments poverty-free. “Committed to implementing ‘Super Six’, we have already started implementing the poll promises,” he said.