PaperDabba News Desk: October 3, 2024
Amaravati: Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has stressed the importance of setting a 15% growth rate target for the government to revive the economy and improve the standard of living for the people. During a review meeting on the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) at the Secretariat, the CM discussed various measures to ensure growth in agriculture, industry, and service sectors.
Chandrababu Naidu pointed out that the previous government’s destructive policies led to a decline in several sectors, negatively impacting the economy. He urged the officials to implement the new policies effectively to bring about economic progress. Naidu emphasized the need to enhance living standards while increasing government revenue without burdening the people.
The Chief Minister stated that the comprehensive mechanization of the agriculture sector could reduce cultivation costs. “Governance is not just about launching schemes, but strengthening the key sectors to boost people’s income,” Naidu said. He cited the achievements during his tenure between 2014 and 2019, when Andhra Pradesh recorded a 13.7% growth rate despite the challenges of bifurcation.
However, he criticized the current YSRCP government for reversing several vital decisions, which led to a decline in the growth rate to 10.59%. Naidu explained that in 2019, the difference in GSDP between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana was only 0.20%, but by 2024, this gap widened to 1.5%. He also pointed out that under the previous Telugu Desam Party (TDP) regime, per capita income grew by 13.21%, while it fell to 9.06% under the current government.
Naidu highlighted that during the TDP’s rule, Andhra Pradesh’s per capita income rose from Rs. 93,903 in 2014 to Rs. 1,54,031 in 2019. In contrast, the gap between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana’s per capita income increased from 0.16% to 1.84% during the current government’s tenure. Andhra Pradesh is now ranked 5th in per capita income among the southern states.
The Chief Minister instructed all government departments to develop a clear vision and work with specific goals. He noted that some departments were lagging and needed to become more active. He directed officials to create detailed plans for the three major sectors, urging them to achieve these targets proactively.
Naidu also announced the implementation of the P4 policy in January, which aims to uplift the bottom 10% of the population through support from the financially stable sections of society. Under this program, affluent individuals and corporations would mentor and assist the economically weaker sections through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives, helping improve their living standards and creating opportunities for them.
