CM Naidu calls for bureaucratic collaboration to rebuild AP’s image

CM to Collectors:

♦ Urges officials to avoid extravagance and focus on innovative ideas to improve the state’s ease of living and happiness index

♦ Calls for GSDP vision plans for each district and mandal with regular reviews and personal visits to understand grassroots problems

Amaravati: Asking the bureaucracy to work hand-in-hand with the political leadership, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Monday underscored the need to rebuild the brand name of the State and put it in the forefront of development through innovative ideas.

Addressing the opening session of two-day Collectors’ conclave here, the first after he took over as the Chief Minister after a gap of five years, he squarely blamed the erstwhile YSRCP Government and his predecessor YS Jagan Mohan Reddy for handing over an empty exchequer after ruining all the developmental process initiated by him due to ‘corruption, nepotism and a bunch of wrong-doings.’

Promising no political vendetta, he said the bureaucracy of Andhra Pradesh, which also used to enjoy a good reputation at the national level, had suffered a lot due to denting the image of the State in the past, he said now the time has come to rebuild Andhra Pradesh and complete all the pending projects envisaged after bifurcation.

Declaring that he is a changed person now, he said he was not indulging in lengthy lectures and appealed to the officials not to resort to exravagance, declaring school closures and mobilising crowds to greet him during his official visits. TDP and its allies have got a ‘historic mandate,’ he said and pointed out how Hyderabad was built due to the vital contribution of bureaucracy.

“All the decisions taken by the elected government have to be implemented by the official machinery. Hence to play a key role in Vikasit India by 2047 and put Andhra Pradesh in the driver’s seat, all of us have to make use of innovative ideas to ameliorate sufferings of the people and ensure that ease of living improves. This ultimately improves our happiness index,” Naidu said.

Stating that they had already released seven white papers on Amaravati, Polavaram and other issues disclosing facts and figures on destruction carried out by the previous regime, he said now the time has come to rebuild the State and regain its lost glory. “In fact, the YSRCP Government caused us more damage than the loss caused due to bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh,” he remarked with a note of sarcasm.

The TDP supremo said the civil servants need to undertake frequent field visits, understand the public grievances and need to resolve them with innovative ideas. When economic liberalisation was initiated in early 1990s, Build Operate and Transfer (BOT) was introduced. Later Public Private Partnership (PPP) projects in various sectors have become very popular. He also described how initiatives launched in Hyderabad led to the birth of New Hyderabad and acknowledged the immense contribution of bureaucracy at that time when a slew of revolutionary steps were taken up when he was the Chief Minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh in 1995. “Because there was no destructive rule like the YSRCP, the successive governments in Telangana are now enjoying the benefits,” he reiterated.