The Chhattisgarh Government would soon appoint officers for the Joint Working Group formed with Andhra Pradesh Government for improving physical connectivity and building co-operation in key sectors of the economy between the two States.
The Working Group would be co-chaired by Chhattisgarh Chief Secretary Vivek Dhand and Andhra Pradesh Chief Secretary IYR Krishna Rao, officials informed.
The Working Group would also comprise secretaries of Transport, PWD, Roads & Buildings, Forest and Energy besides some more key departments of both the Governments as members. Just a day earlier, the AP Government had issued orders constituting a Working Group of IAS officers.
It may be recalled that during the visit of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu on September 22 to Chhattisgarh, it was discussed in a high-level meeting attended by Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu that Chhattisgarh is a land locked State and needs ports where Andhra Pradesh could help with its long coastline and a well developed post infrastructure to improve connectivity between the two States.
The two Chief Ministers had felt that the need for people-to-people contact, economic growth and also cultural exchange between the two states through enhancement of physical connectivity between the two States. The members of the Working Group are appointed, both the Governments would prepare a road map to improve connectivity between the two States.
Naidu during his visit to Chhattisgarh had told Singh that AP has excelled in IT whereas Chhattisgarh has plenty of natural resources and has done well in the field of Energy.
“We have a number of ports and 14 ports will come up in Andhra Pradesh in totality. “AP will become the ‘Gateway of India’ on the East coast. A better connectivity between the two States will help us explore the potential in each,” he had stated.
The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister who was accompanied by a group of entrepreneurs had also held a meeting with officers and entrepreneurs of Chhattisgarh to discuss about the new avenues in either State.
“Since Chhattisgarh is a new State and Andhra Pradesh is just over 100 days old, we both have constraints in particular with Finance, Naidu had said stated, adding, for the outcome of meeting between entrepreneurs it’s a win-win situation as both the States have opportunities and we can complement each other by working together.”
Naidu had also appreciated Chief Minister Raman Singh for his pro-poor activities and ability to inspire the bureaucracy which has shown tremendous enthusiasm in the State. Moreover, the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister had also stated during his visit that Andhra Pradesh would also develop its new capital while taking Chhattisgarh’s Naya Raipur as a ‘Model Project.’
Naidu during his visit also had a close look at the upcoming administrative headquarters of Chhattisgarh in Naya Raipur and observed the ongoing development works there. He had stated that the Andhra Pradesh Government is also planning to develop a separate township like Naya Raipur after his visit to residential colony at Sector-27 developed by Chhattisgarh Housing Board in Naya Raipur.
The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister had also lauded the better economic package and employment-oriented training for villagers, inclusion of eco-friendly and water-conservation related features and other important development activities included in Naya Raipur Project. Naidu had also commended Singh for computerization of Public Distribution System (PDS) and e-Governance as well.