VIJAYAWADA: NTR District Collector G Lakshmisha called upon citizens to collectively work towards protecting national unity and accelerating development, transcending differences of caste, religion, region, and language, and to rededicate themselves to nation-building on the occasion of Republic Day.
He urged people to draw inspiration from the sacrifices of great leaders and actively contribute to inclusive and sustainable growth.
The 77th Republic Day celebrations of NTR District were held with grandeur on Monday at the Indira Gandhi Municipal Stadium, Vijayawada. Police Commissioner (CP) SV Rajasekhar Babu, Joint Collector S Ilakkiya, DCP Krishna Kanth Patil and others also take part in this event.
The Collector attended the event as the Chief Guest, hoisted the National Flag, received the Guard of Honour, and inspected the ceremonial parade presented by police and various departmental contingents. He extended warm Republic Day greetings to the people and addressed the gathering.
In his address, the Collector recalled the heroic struggles and supreme sacrifices of national icons such as Pingali Venkayya and Ayadevara Kaleswara Rao, whose contributions played a vital role in India attaining independence.
He stated that the Indian Constitution, framed under the visionary leadership of Bharat Ratna BR Ambedkar laid a strong foundation for democracy by guaranteeing equal rights and opportunities to all citizens. He emphasised that while enjoying constitutional rights, citizens must also discharge their duties and responsibilities with commitment and integrity.
Referring to the Swarna Andhra @2047 vision, the Collector said the State Government is implementing development and welfare programmes with clearly defined priorities, aiming for an ambitious annual growth rate of 18.5 per cent across all sectors.
He noted that innovative governance initiatives are being undertaken to ensure effective last-mile delivery of welfare schemes. He proudly mentioned that NTR District secured the No.1 position in the State, achieving a score of 83 across 315 Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
The Collector highlighted several flagship initiatives, including promotion of women entrepreneurship through the RISE Centre, encouragement of startups via the Ratan Tata Innovation Hub, digital support systems for agriculture, record paddy procurement with prompt payments to farmers, focused education improvement plans, strengthened healthcare monitoring mechanisms, renewable energy initiatives, tourism development, de-addiction programmes, and robust grievance redressal systems.
State govt targets 18.5% annual growth
The State government is implementing development and welfare programmes with defined priorities, aiming for an ambitious annual growth rate of 18.5% across all sectors. He said innovative governance are being undertaken to ensure effective delivery of schemes