State Has Best Industrial Policy: Cm

[katharnak]

Hyderabad, May 8: Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy today said that Andhra Pradesh has the best industrial policy in the country. However, a long term planning was required, he added.

The Chief Minister said that the Partnership Summit held in January this year in Hyderabad was very successful. He said that an MoU was signed for Rs 6.50 lakh crores worth investments in the State by various investors and the total employment likely to be created would be about 6, 78,597. He said even before the summit, the SIPB chaired by him has cleared projects worth Rs 75,000 crores on a single day.

The Chief Minister was speaking at the session “Advantage Andhra Pradesh” of the National Executive Committee meeting of the FICCI being held here. Mr Kiran Kumar Reddy also released a Special Report that assesses the 12 key factors that influence the business environment and makes recommendations for improving business climate in the State. He said that the State Government was constantly pursuing these MoUs. He said that skill upgradation and training have been taken up in a big way by the State Government through its various departments. “We would like to provide placements for all of them”. He said that in the last few months, 1.60 lakh youths were trained and provided placements in different sectors.

The Chief Minister said that industry plays a key role in the successful implementation of the employment generation program the ‘Rajiv Yuva Kiranaalu’. He underscored the need to recruit local people for the industries. He said Andhra Pradesh was not a power shortage State and power projects were lying idle because of non-supply of gas. “Before last year, we were the least Shortage State. It is also a fact that power grid is not connected from North to South, which is also one of the problems. By 2013, Power Grid Corporation promised to solve this problem,” he said and asked the industrialists not to worry about power problem in future. Though there are lots of apprehensions, we are supplying about free power to 30 lakh agricultural pumpsets and the power subsidy today is Rs 5,500 crores, which includes farmers and low income households.

The Chief Minister said the State Government, to increase the reliability of Gas supply, has entered into an MoU for setting up an RLNG FSRU Terminal with GDF Suez LNG UK Ltd., a wholly owned company of GDF Suez, the world's leading LNG player has been selected. The Floating Storage Regasification Unit (FSRU) will be first of its kind in India and will be established in the Kakinada Sea Port.

The Chief Minister said that the focus was now on industries to come up in and around rural areas, agricultural based industries, horticulture, dairy, poultry, fisheries. “We have an income about Rs.11, 000 crs from fisheries and budget outlay for it has been increased from Rs.20 crs to Rs.230 crs. He said dairy development is another sector to be developed and bulk milk cooling centres are being set up and we would like to provide value additions to the dairy products and most remunerative price to the farmer. He said we are also strong in horticulture and cold storage chains. The Chief Minister added that about 1.35 crs SHG women have been provided Rs.11,500 crs as bank linkage at zero percent interest.

The Chief Minister said, “We will have discussions and deliberations by senior State officials and industry representatives on the progress of Andhra Pradesh on two major parameters affecting industry, namely, Land Acquisition and Development of Industrial Clusters and single window mechanism.” He said on the Land Acquisition front, the support to industry is provided by Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation, which is the body that acquires and develops land for industrial use in the State. There will be uniformity in allotments, he added.

The Chief Minister said Petroleum Chemical and Petrochemical Investment Region (PCPIR) in about 603.58 Sq.Km between Visakhapatnam to Kakinada is being developed in the State, which is now a leading destination for the investors on the east coast of the State. The State Government is requesting Government of India to reduce interest from 14% to 7% for women on par with farmers. It will generate employment to rural population. He said we are trying to encourage agricultural sector and godown capacity is being increased. We are also trying to create one crore additional ayacut in the next to 7 to 8 years”.

Major Industries Minister Dr J. Geetha Reddy said that A.P. is one of the best power utility States in the South. She said lots of pro-active steps are being taken up to make A.P. a surplus power State. She also spoke about the successful Partnership summit held in Hyderabad.

[chowdary9]