Amaravati, March 25 (IANS) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday asked the district Collectors to achieve a 15 per cent growth in the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) during 2025-26.
The Chief Minister gave the direction at the inauguration of the two-day conference of Collectors at the state Secretariat.
He pointed out that from 2014 to 2019, the growth rate was 13.5 per cent, but it dropped to 10.32 per cent between 2019-24. However, the government has successfully restored it to 12.02 per cent in 2024-25.
Stating that Andhra Pradesh’s budget stands at Rs 3.27 lakh crore, he said a 1 per cent increase in growth rate generates an additional Rs 15,000 crore in revenue.
Chandrababu Naidu said the long-term goal is to establish a Rs 308 lakh crore economy by 2047, with a per capita income target of Rs 54.60 lakh.
The Chief Minister reaffirmed his commitment to rebuilding and developing Andhra Pradesh, underscoring that his government has worked tirelessly over the past nine months to restore the state from its previous turmoil.
He urged officials to work with sincerity to overcome the setbacks caused by the previous administration’s “destructive governance” and to ensure both welfare and development reach the people effectively.
“The government is closely monitoring every initiative, including feedback from citizens regarding 22 essential services. The goal is to instill trust in the government’s commitment to serving the people,” he added.
The ‘Swarnandhra 2047’ vision document includes 10 key principles, including that planning must extend from the state level down to districts, constituencies, mandals, and village secretariats, and that district Collectors will serve as vision execution chairpersons, while MLAs will chair the process at the constituency level.
Naidu stated that infrastructure projects worth Rs 55,000 crore, including national highways, are currently in progress and must be completed within two years. He asked Collectors to proactively secure environmental and other necessary approvals.
The Chief Minister alleged that the previous five years witnessed governance failures, leading to public dissatisfaction. He said his coalition secured a 93 per cent strike rate in the elections, demonstrating public disapproval of past governance and high expectations from the new administration.
He mentioned that good governance is built on three pillars: welfare, development, and self-reliance. Poverty alleviation and public well-being require sustainable welfare initiatives, which in turn demand sufficient revenue. Welfare programs cannot be sustained solely through borrowing. The previous government incurred a debt of Rs 9.74 lakh crore, which must now be repaid, including interest payments, he said.
He also announced that the process for the recruitment of over 16,000 government teachers will be launched.
The DSC (District Selection Committee) notification will be issued in the first week of April. A structured approach will be followed to ensure a smooth recruitment process, filling 16,347 teacher positions, he said, and recalled that his first signature on assuming office was on the file for these recruitments. He announced that appointments will be completed before the new academic year begins.
He claimed that the government fulfilled several promises during the last nine months. Andhra Pradesh now offers the highest social security pension in the country at Rs 4,000. The pension amount has been significantly increased from Rs 200 in 2014 to Rs 2,000, and now directly to ₹4,000. Disability pensions have been raised from Rs 500 to Rs 6,000, while kidney patients receive Rs 10,000, and bedridden individuals are granted Rs 15,000 under a humanitarian approach.
The government has established 204 Anna Canteens to address hunger among the poor. Collectors have been directed to inspect these canteens. Under the Deepam-2 scheme, three LPG cylinders are provided per year.
Claiming that the Polavaram project has been put back on track with the Central government’s cooperation, he said it was set for completion by 2027. Work on the Amaravati capital city has also resumed. Financial assistance has been sought from institutions such as the World Bank and the ADB. Amaravati is being developed as a self-financed project and a global model for urban development. The same model will be adopted for the Nakkapalli steel plant, he said.
–IANS
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