VIJAYAWADA: On the second day of his visit to the national capital, HRD and IT Minister Nara Lokesh called on several Union Ministers, besides meeting a delegation of Google.
Lokesh called on Union Minister for Defence Rajnath Singh at the latter’s residence, and explained in detail the development activities being undertaken by the TDP-led NDA government in the State. He urged the Union Minister to set up a defence cluster in Andhra Pradesh and sought the Centre’s cooperation to establish some units in the State against the backdrop of huge investments in the defence sector, which will generate large scale employment opportunities for the youth. He also appealed to establish the NCC Directorate in AP.
He told the Defence Minister that the State is brought on track, which was in chaos due to the faulty policies adopted by the previous government, and briefed him how the works in the capital city of Amaravati and Polavaram are moving on a progressive path with the Centre’s cooperation.
The TDP-led NDA government is working hard to take the state towards a development path in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of Viksit Bharat, he said.
During a meeting with Union Minister for Education Dharmendra Pradhan, Lokesh urged him to provide an opportunity to the State government to host the All-India Education Ministers Conclave in August.
He also sought the Central support for the efforts being made by the AP government to strengthen the academic system. He asked for an increase in Central allocation to the State for KGBVs, skill education, ICT-based learning and quality enhancement.
Stating that the schools established under the PM SHRI scheme have made excellent progress, the HRD Minister said the demand for such schools is increasing by the day. Of the 2,369 schools proposed under Phase 1 and 2 of the PM SHRI scheme, only 855 have been sanctioned, he said and made an appeal to Pradhan to sanction the remaining 1,514 schools under Phase-3.
He appealed for massive Central assistance for progress of high schools under Purvodaya scheme, and sought sanction of Rs 3,229 crore for improving basic amenities on the universities campuses, Rs 555 crore for constructing the buildings for 37 government colleges, and another Rs 330 crore for improving the infrastructure in the existing degree colleges.
Lokesh also called on Union Minister for Heavy Industries HD Kumaraswamy, and urged the Centre to sanction the necessary permissions for ArcelorMittal and Nippon Steel factory to be established in Anakapalle district.
Large scale employment opportunities will be provided to the youth once the ArcelorMittal and Nippon Steel factory is established.
Thanking Kumaraswamy profusely for releasing nearly Rs 12,000 crore for the revival of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP), Lokesh said the funds are released with a generous heart after realising the sentiments of the people of the State, and the concern of thousands of workers of the unit.
He also extended thanks to Kumaraswamy for personally visiting the steel plant to have first-hand information on the problems being faced by the workers.
Lokesh also took the blessings of former Prime Minister Deve Gowda at the residence of Kumaraswamy, and enquired about his health condition.
As part of his visit to Delhi, Lokesh also had a meeting with a delegation of Google Cloud, and promised all cooperation from the State to Google Cloud in setting up the Data City in Visakhapatnam.
Managing Director of Google Cloud Bikram Singh, Country Director (Public Sector and EdTech) Asish and their team met Lokesh, and discussed about the Data City.
Lokesh told them that the AP Economic Development Board is working actively to clear all the necessary permissions like land allocation.
He urged Google Cloud heads to accelerate the process of setting up the Data City as it will totally revamp the facet of Visakhapatnam, and expressed hope that it will be a game-changer for establishing an environment system for start-ups, and to design the world-class applications in Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Bikram Singh appreciated the efforts of the Andhra Pradesh government for digital transformation.
He also said all the necessary measures will be taken to speed up the process of setting up the Data City.