On the second day of his Singapore visit, AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu began his day with a private meeting with Minister S. Iswaran, where they discussed about the new Capital Amaravati.
After a luncheon meeting with Iswaran, the AP Chief Minister took part in a public lecture at the Institute of South Asian Studies (ISAS), which was moderated by Ambassador Gopinath Pillai. Delivering the welcome address, Pillai said the overwhelming response at ISAS is a mark of Naidu’s popularity in Singapore. “He built the IT sector in Andhra Pradesh and is known to be the brain behind Cyberabad. Now, he is building the new capital of Andhra Pradesh, Amaravati,” he elaborated to the audience at ISAS.
Taking over the dais from Ambassador Pillai, the Chief Minister said Andhra Pradesh is a new State now, which is just one year and three months old. Stressing the need to nurture the State carefully, Naidu elaborated on developments during his previous stint. Stating that India was moving in the right direction, the Chief Minister said India, China and the US will be the leading economies in the world by 2050. “We have a long sea coast. The advantage we have is that we are the only state with such a long coast on the East and hence, we aim to develop this as Logistics Hub of Southeast Asia. We are ranked second in cargo handling in the country and we will reach the top position,” he added.
The Chief Minister also informed the audience that his government has recently linked the mighty Godavari river with the Krishna in the State and reiterated that hard work and determination will pay off if leaders commit themselves to development. Despite challenges, the Chief Minister said, the government sees capital building as one of the greatest advantages for the State. “Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has accepted our invitation to lay the foundation for Amaravati on October 22. I will be meeting Singapore Prime Minister on Tuesday to invite him for the historic occasion on October 22,” the Chief Minister added.
Recalling his first visit to Singapore last year, the Chief Minister said: “I first asked them to come up with a Master Plan for our Capital. They did. Now, I’m now asking Singapore to join us to build our capital. I’m hopeful they will come forward to do this as well,” he said, adding that Amaravati will not only serve as an administrative area but also model itself as a economy and knowledge driver. “I’m also happy to inform you that our state has been ranked second in ‘Ease of Doing Business’ by World Bank., after Gujarat. I’m confident that we will rise to the top spot next year. We will be a distant number one.”
The Chief Minister also explained about the initiatives of creating social capital through women Self-help Groups. “SHG women have emerged as a strong and independent force in the state. They are rural entrepreneurs who lead and inspire the community, are financial independent and eventually, empower the society. They make their own goods and sell them online.”(NSS)