DC debate: Is Telangana taking decisions faster than Andhra Pradesh?

Hyderabad: When former US President Bill Clinton first visited Hyderabad, the then chief minister of united Andhra Pradesh painted a surreal picture of the city hiding its true appearance. He decorated the city with plastic plants and flowers to make it look green, removed beggars from the pavements and concealed slums from view by building large cloth panels. These steps  more or less summed up the way Mr Naidu governed the undivided state.

Our way of governance is different. We will not cover slums with cloth. We will remove them and build proper colonies with all amenities instead.

We will develop Hyderabad on the lines of global cities like New York and London. There are many ideas, but we need not to compare ourselves with neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, though the debate of comparison is unavoidable.

At this juncture, it would be pertinent to say that there is a world of difference in the attitude and the way K. Chandrasekhar Rao and Chandrababu Naidu are running their own governments. TRS and TD are poles apart with absolutely nothing in common.

Mr Rao grew over the years as a mass leader; we all know how Mr Chandrababu Naidu emerged as a leader. I invoke these aspects because they are important factors contributing to the style of governance.

As part of erstwhile Andhra Pradesh, Telangana has borne many losses. People genuinely believed that a separate Telangana will allow them to lead a better life, and it is true.

Our government swung into action as soon as we came to power. This is why it appears that Mr Chandrasekhar Rao is taking decisions too quickly. We strive for real growth and not just numbers. Our schemes and policies should help every section of the society. Decisions taken in the last Cabinet meet also reflected this ideology.

Some people are asking us if we have money to do all that we promised. I can only say that nothing is impossible if people partner with us in our endeavours.

Mr Naidu’s calculations say he will waive off farm loans with the money from red sanders auction, but we are not sitting and calculating.

A government should have the poorest man in mind, unlike Mr Chandrababu Naidu who just had IT on his mind and ignored agriculture.

We are doing what the common man wants and this is why it appears we are working faster.

Responsibility, commitment and focus. Andhra Pradesh government, under the leadership of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, is guided by these basic principles to usher in a new era of welfare and all-round development.

In the last 45 days, since we have taken over the reins of the state, we have adopted a focused approach in a responsible manner to fulfil not only the commitments we made, but also the aspirations of the people.

The journey of new Andhra Pradesh has begun ironically on the wrong foot with the state’s bifurcation imposing a huge liability on the economic front. But, the government has taken this as a challenge and is continuing the journey with determination.

Decentralised administration and spread of development activities across various sectors will be the hallmark of the growth story that our government envisages.

Be it the promised waiver of crop loans or the elimination of ‘belt shops’, enhancement of social security pension amount to different sections, increase in the retirement age for government employees, the government has taken steps to honour its commitments.

The Reserve Bank of India’s nod for rescheduling farm loans is the  first decisive step in implementing the crop loan waiver, with the state government absorbing the farmers’ liabilities.

The Visakhapatnam-Chennai Industrial Corridor proposed by the Government of India in its Budget for 2014-15 will complement our government’s plans and give a boost to the coastal economy besides creating jobs for thousands of skilled and unskilled people.

Simultaneously, the Chennai-Bengaluru Industrial Corridor will propel large-scale economic activity in the Rayalaseema region.

Institutes of excellence like IIT, IIM, AIIMS, Petroleum University will transform Andhra Pradesh into a knowledge society in the next few years.

That Information Technology is a priority for our government needs no emphasis as we are known as the pioneers in e-governance. IT industry in Andhra Pradesh will grow further with Visakhapatnam being the hub and districts like Anantapur as sub-centres of the industrial hub.

People gave us their mandate because we have a proven track record in both development and welfare. They trusted us and kept their faith in the leadership of Mr Chandrababu Naidu. We will certainly live up to it.