Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy on Saturday assured the builders that the sand problem would be sorted out totally within a week.
Speaking as the Chief Guest at the All India MC & GC meeting of the Builders Association of India at the National Academy of Construction (NAC) campus at Madhapur, he said the State Government is evolving a new system wherein the sand problem will be sorted out totally.
The Chief Minister said “Sand is a problem. Court has given an order. Lakhs of people are affected and many of them are without work. We are trying to sort it out. In the next week or so, we are getting in a new system where the sand problem will be sorted out totally. We have already sorted all the basic issues,” he said. To the request for setting up a cement plant by an entrepreneur, the Chief Minister said that the State Government should get a stake in it.
Kiran Kumar Reddy said that Hyderabad has become the destination of all world conferences. He said the Global Biodiversity Conference, the biggest ever international conference in independent India will be held in Hyderabad in October this year. About 8,000 delegates from 194 countries will participate in the meet. In December this year, International Conference on Allergy will be held here wherein doctors from all over the world will congregate. Then there is the World Agricultural Congress-2013 to be held here. “All these are the indication of the progress of Hyderabad and Andhra Pradesh,” he said.
The Chief Minister said just a few days ago Andhra Pradesh has been chosen for the ‘Investment Driven Economies Award’ in the India’s Most Competitive States Awards 2012 initiative. The award has been constituted by the Institute for Competitiveness (India), the Indian wing of the global network of Institute for Strategy and Competitiveness at Harvard Business School. This is the finding of the most reputed Harvard Business School.
The Chief Minister Andhra Pradesh was honoured to host the Global Partnership Summit 2012 in Hyderabad in January 2012, after a gap of 8 years. The summit was attended by 1200 Delegates including 200 Overseas Delegates and 15 Overseas Ministers, Speakers from 42 Countries, and 37 Foreign Diplomats.
During the Partnership Summit 2012, Andhra Pradesh received investment proposals worth of Rs.6.50 lakh crores which is a record of investment proposals received in any Summit of this nature. The total employment likely to be created would be about 6,78,597.
Kiran Kumar Reddy said this was the type of progress that the government was aiming at. He said when he became the Chief Minister, there were many problems including Telangana agitation. Besides, there was also a financial crisis in the State. “But within three to four months, I could turn it around. We have paid over Rs.4,000 crore towards the pending bills of contractors. We have also paid Rs 5,250 crore towards pending scholarships and fee re-imbursements to students and colleges. Financial discipline is what I am trying to get into the system,” he said.
The Chief Minister said, “as far as building and construction activities are concerned, you are an important partner and we cannot neglect you. However, there are lots of problems in the system itself. Work which is allotted is not properly designed, not properly valued and in many cases there are losses to the State and in few cases there are losses to the contractors. This is because correct estimates are not prepared for each work. We are now giving only clearance in principle for any project and only after details are furnished to the finance department, we sanction the project. Hence there would be no justification for any cost escalation in the work”.
The Chief Minister said we are now experimenting a time-bound payment system wherein if the payment is delayed, we will pay interest. So also for all permissions and estimates third party evaluations will be done. We want the programmes to be completed on time. As far as Jalayagnam is concerned, the Chief Minister said his government has now prioritised the programme. He said 20 lakh acres are now brought under irrigation and in the next 3 years, another 30 lakh acres will also be brought under irrigation. The Chief Minister said he is releasing Rs.1,000 crore every month to the irrigation department but they are not bale to spend them.
The Chief Minister said that the Finance Department is now working in the right direction and financial discipline has been achieved. The Chief Minister said “when I am clear in what I want to do, I am not frightened of allegations by the Opposition or the Media”. “Let us work for the progress of the State, welfare of our people”, he said.
The Chief Minister appreciated the good gesture of the Builders Association of India towards skill upgradation and training. He said the State Government has allocated Rs.777 crs in this year’s budget for skill upgradation and training and assured to allot some amount for NAC towards training and skill upgradation.
Panchayat Raj Minister K Jana Reddy, Housing Minister Capt N Uttam Kumar Reddy, BAI National President B Seenaiah, and State Chairman P Mohan Reddy and others attended the meeting. (INN)