In making Andhra Pradesh as a horticulture hub, Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has shown keen interest in partnering with US Companies when a delegation of company representatives from the US met him on Friday. He wanted AP as a global destination and a technologically equipped State.
He will be participating in a Round Table Investment Conference in New Delhi on October 9, and agreed to be a part of the delegation’s visit to India on November 17.
He addressed the delegation and said that he aims to make Amaravati a global city, inclusive of all cultures. He spoke of the achievements and goals of the Government of Andhra Pradesh, mentioning Real Time Governance, grievance redressal mechanism, Power Sector reforms and Ease of doing Business.
The delegation was grateful for his support and appreciated his ambitious attitude to develop the State. “Business are commissioned the fastest in this State, and investors are always confident. You are making history”, they said. The representatives were from US India Strategic Partnership Forum, the AP Economic Development Board, Amway, Pfizer, Shire Pharmaceuticals, Pepsico and Veneklasen.
Organic farming
Anshu Budhraja from Amway presented a proposal to set up an organic farming footprint in Andhra Pradesh. Across 300 to 500 acres, they want to practice organic farming, with the help of scientific advancements and traditional methods. Amway, a Rs 2,000 crore company in India with around 750 scientists in the country, is the world’s largest company for vitamins and minerals for agriculture. They are interested to cultivate around 10 crops extensively, and also want to provide their own nutrition certification to improve the quality of organic farming practices.
The Chief Minister said that organic farming is a sector with a large scope in the State, as the climate and soil are suitable for agriculture. He told them that they can start setting up the farms in Kuppam, and can take the help of a dedicated team from the Government that is already working towards developing organic farming. “Subhash Palekar is also working as a consultant to the Government, and has practiced Zero Budget Natural Farming extensively”, he mentioned, and encouraged the team to proceed with the formalities.
Pneumonia vaccination
Sharad Goswami, from Pfizer, proposed to introduce Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) with the support of the State Government and UNICEF, for vaccination campaigns to fight Pneumonia. He said that the highest cause for infant mortality in the State is pneumonia, and Andhra Pradesh reports the highest Pneumonia incidents than any State in South India. The Chief Minister approved the campaign, and asked them to start immediately. The team is ready with all the supplies, and a custom-made vaccine for India. The dose, which originally costs Rs 4,000 per dose, is given at a low cost of Rs 150 per dose. The vaccine is approved by the Government of India.
Diagnostic Centres – Rare Diseases
Under a Public Private Partnership, Shire Pharmaceuticals will tie up with the State Government to set up diagnostic centres for Hemophilia and rare diseases, in every district. They will also develop the IT infrastructure to create India’s first rare disease registry and analysis of medical data. Dr. Bhaskar Jyoti Sonowal from the firm said that they will also contribute by providing capacity building workshops for doctors from international training facilities.
The Chief Minister said around 12 services including diagnostic centres, medical equipment providers, sanitation facilities, mobile clinics and others, are working with the government under PPP alliances. He said that Shire will have their support, and they can start working on the MoU.
Pepsico
Himanshu Priyadarshini said that Pepsico is interested to include organic fruit juices into their carbonated beverages, and indirectly promote horticulture.
The Chief Minister said that he wants to make the state the Horticultural Hub of the world. He said that the state is already doing extremely well in the field, and he is interested to continue promoting horticultural activities. “I want to triple the income we get from horticulture. Our state already has a high variety of good quality fruits and vegetables. I aim to invest in the logistics sector for the field next”, he said, and encouraged the officials to proceed working on the project.
Noise Control Centre in Amaravati
Ms. Hemanth Sandhu from Veneklasen presented that inadequate attention is given to the impact of noise and vibration in urban lifestyles and health. “Noise and vibrations can weaken foundations of buildings and is one of the leading causes of cardio vascular problems, dementia and slow cognitive development in children”, she said.
The Chief Minister said that he wants Amaravati to be built with eco-friendly and pollution-free mechanisms. He approved of the establishment of a Noise Control Centre in Amaravati, making it the first of its kind in the country. This will control the noise levels caused by traffic, metro train movements and others in public spaces.
I want 15% growth every year - Naidu
In the 200th State level Bank Committee meeting, the Chief Minister emphasised the need to support the agriculture sector in the state. He wants to reduce the price of cultivation for the farmers and improve skill development programmes for self-help groups.
The Annual Credit Plan for 2017-18 has a target of loaning IJ1,66,806 crore, and has already disbursed Rs 50,090 crore, as of 30th June 2017.
The target for Short term Rabi and Kharif loans is IJ63,106 crore, and the total farm credit target is Rs 83,209 crore.
He said that he wants the state to have an economic growth of 15% every year. “I will ensure that power and water supply is provided along with any support required. I want to ensure that no government asset remains a non-performing asset”, he said.
The Union Ministry of Finance and Department of Financial Services directed the organizing of a Mudra Promotion Campaigns at 50 locations during the period 27th September to 17th October throughout the country. On 3rd October, an event will be hosted in Vijayawada, for the same purpose. The campaign is aimed to create awareness on Mudra loans, Stand Up India loans, PMSBY, PMJJBY, APY, Aadhaar Seeding, Aadhaar Authentication, Mobile Seeding etc.
The Chief Minister was also happy with the development of self-help groups. He aims to enable them to become self-sustainable business-women, and ensure their access to the Industries and Corporate Sector.
He said that there should be a 20% growth in the MSME sector, but the reports show only a 2% growth. MSMEs and business models need to be strategized based on a thorough study done, and identification the demand-driven sectors. He suggested the officials to create a portal for MSMEs.
He insisted that he monitors each government sponsored project, and study the results bank-wise.
He urged all banks to participate in the development schemes of the government, not lay unnecessary bank charges, and told the government officials to regulate their progress more often. He said, “By 31st of October this year, there must be a visible change in the participation of banks, and there must be a visible increase in the disbursement of credit.”
As per a suggestion by Dr. Kutumbarao, Deputy Chairman of AP Planning Commission, the Chief Minister has asked the officials to establish a coordination committee for this purpose. A 11-member committee including bank representatives from SBI, Andhra Bank, Canara Bank, Syndicate Bank, APGVB and Government officials will act as a bridge between people, banks and government and ensure grounding of loans.