‘Will work like number 1 coolie’ Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu

Guntur: Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Sunday promised to develop the new state as the No. 1 state in the country. “I will work like a No. 1 coolie to ensure that the state becomes No. 1 from the ruins of bifurcation,” Mr Naidu told the gathering, soon after taking oath as the first Chief Minister of residuary Andhra Pradesh.

In an emotional speech, Mr Naidu appealed to Telugu people from across the world to extend a helping hand and help him build the new state. Listing his priorities, Mr Naidu said that his first signature was on the farm loan waiver scheme. He said that the process would be completed within 45 days. He also announced Rs 1,000 pension to the aged, handicapped and widows from October 2, Gandhi Jayanti, apart from 20 litres of packaged drinking water at Rs 2 under the NTR Sujala scheme in all villages of the state.

Mr Naidu also promised to shut down belt shops completely. He promised to increase the retirement age from 58 to 60 years, while generating employment for youth in the private sector in a big way. Blaming the Congress for the present state of affairs, Mr Naidu said that Seemandhra people were deprived of justice due to misrule by the Congress and stressed the need for working hard to rebuild the state.

Mr Naidu said that while the Congress enacted a high drama, BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu strove to bring an Ordinance on the Polavaram project. Thanking BJP leaders, including L.K. Advani, Rajnath Singh, Venkaiah Naidu, and Chief Ministers Prakash Singh Badal, Vasundhara Raje, Raman Singh and Anandiben Patel for attending his swearing-in ceremony, Mr Naidu said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would extend his complete cooperation to AP.

He described actor Pawan Kalyan as the representative of the youth and said that the actor had extended support to the BJP and the TD so that the corrupt Congress rule would end. Mr Naidu said that state Cabinet would meet in Visakhapatnam soon and discuss decentralisation of development. Thanking the people for their support, the the newly elected AP CM said he would make the state “Swarnandhra Pradesh.”

He said that '20 crore was allotted for the welfare of Telugu Desam activists who worked hard and served the party for the 10 years it was out of power.

Watch: Chandrababu Naidu's speech after being sworn-in as Andhra Pradesh's Chief Minister