Being predominantly an agricultural economy doesn’t help the State’s case, Andhra Pradesh has worked out. It has, thus, moved ahead for the State’s transition from the traditional subsistence era to an ‘era of agricultural enterprise’ involving 70 per cent of its rural population and envisaging a five-fold increase in its per capita income. But it would do so by augmenting its traditional strength areas even as it is anticipating an increase in its financial receipts through the new GST regime.
It has also set another ambitious target for itself: When India celebrates its 75th year of Independence in 2022, Andhra Pradesh would stand as “one among the three most developed States of the country”.
“AP’s potential to position itself as a leader in agribusiness is not achievable without shifting from the traditional subsistence era to an era of agricultural enterprise. So, the State Government has focused on diverting the farming community and labour from conventional agriculture to market and industry-oriented agribusiness. More so as AP is ‘No.1’ in brackish and freshwater shrimps, eggs, palm oil, chillies, citrus, tomatoes and turmeric production; ‘No.2’ in cashew nut, mango, and fresh water fish production and ‘No. 3’ in flower production,” Andhra Pradesh Chief Secretary Dinesh Kumar told The Pioneer in an exclusive interview.
“To achieve this, skill development of agriculturists and agri-based labour is required. We have taken steps to improve skill development in rural people by establishing a separate State Skill Development Corporation, which, in turn, is establishing Skill Development Centres in mandal headquarters to train rural people in agribusiness, food processing, market chain technologies, enterprising skills for local job creation and market-oriented agribusiness operations, which will ensure enhanced value generation per capita,” he pointed out. Rural people will be part of the knowledge-based economy, he outlined.
Maintaining that the State government’s focus is on ‘public interest’, he admitted that it’s “difficult to match” Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu’s energy levels as “he sits through enthusiastically even in 10-hour-long meetings”.
Three years since its bifurcation, AP has already transformed from an energy-deficit State to a power surplus one now. “The State Government is now planning to give power on competitive prices to industries. Hence, more jobs, more economic activity, more revenue,” he said.
“We are aiming to increase industrial and service sector contribution more to GSDP in the coming years. Earlier VAT, Excise, land Registration and Central Sponsored Schemes were the main sources for revenue expenditure. The present 14 per cent of GST share will certainly improve financial receipts because AP being a consuming State rather than an industrial production State would benefit more, though the assessment of impact has not yet been done,” he maintained.
Creation of Integrated Water Transportation Network for routing water from flood areas to drought prone areas by linking of river basins is another major project in AP. ‘Transporting surplus and flood waters to Krishna and Krishna waters to Penna basin through Prakasam barrage, Pulichintala and Srisailam projects is a revolutionary and daring thought of Chief Minister,” he said.
On the Centre’s assistance, he said as promised in AP Reorganisation Act, the Government of India has released Rs 2,500 crore out of Rs 3,500 crore and it is giving Polavaram Project funds as well. Kumar has focused on getting CSS funds more by streamlining submission of utilization certificates by related State Departments in time. In 2016-17, AP got Rs 10,000 crore from the Centre and has targeted Rs 15,000 crore for FY 2017-18. Till July, the State was able to get Rs 7,000 crore.
The State Government is also focusing on the health of people of AP, particularly reducing mortality rate and improving human development index. “AP’s IMR and MMR is better than the National average though it is far away from the WHO suggested goal. AP is slightly lower in HDI. Also, there is a problem of stunted growth children. The rate is high at 53 per cent. Problems of pregnant and lactating mothers, underweight children exist too. State Government is giving protein food under Anna Hastham,” he said.