Success is about Building Strengths, not about Eliminating Weaknesses

    Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president and CM-designate of residuary AP Nara Chandrababu Naidu shares his vision with Telugu Desam Party Mahanadu.

The Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill - 2014, which created the new state of Telangana, has made the population ratio as the framework for allocation of assets and liabilities including the public debt between Telangana and the residual state of Andhra Pradesh. The bifurcation of the state has several economic implications.

The economic costs of the bifurcation and the assets will be high and unemployment rates will increase. The mass migration and relocation of people in both states would leave the administration in tatters. The division of assets and officials, the sharing of common resources and particularly sharing of water and energy will be a major problem.

It would be in the interest of both states to address the issues arising out of reorganization of existing Andhra Pradesh through dialogue and ensure a peaceful industrial climate in both the states. I firmly believe that in this regard political parties like Telugu Desam will play an important role in shaping and building consensus on the measures required for development of all regions.

Success is achieved by developing our strengths, not by eliminating our weaknesses.

In my view, there is an urgent need to communicate with the public and help to explain where there is consensus and where there are doubts about the issues of sustainable development. The three pillars of sustainable development - economic growth, environmental stewardship and social inclusion - carry across all sectors of development, from cities facing rapid urbanisation to agriculture, infrastructure, energy development and use, water availability, and transportation. Investing in women’s lives is an investment in sustainable development, in human rights, in future generations and consequently in our own long-term national interests.

Telugu Desam firmly believes in this and gender equality is more than a goal in itself. It is a precondition for meeting the challenge of reducing poverty, promoting sustainable development and building good governance.

More Focus on Profitable Farming, Knowledge Economy, Youth Power

My fond hope is that every poor family in Andhra Pradesh / Telangana comes out of poverty, is stabilised against shocks that threaten their advancement, improves its livelihood options and enjoys a decent quality of life.

Better Fare for Ryots

An effective crop insurance mechanism that will do away with the need for calamity relief measures will be formulated.

An agricultural price stabilisation fund for crops prone to heavy price fluctuations will be one of my first initiatives to insulate farmers from price vagaries.

Part of the multi-crore package to farmers will be the loan waiver scheme. There is an urgent need for long-term measures on the farm debt front. It isn’t enough each time to just waive the interest payments or defer them.

Transition to Knowledge Economy

Knowledge economy is one in which production and utilisation of knowledge play a crucial role in creating wealth. The main objective of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) will be to take appropriate steps to give Andhra Pradesh a knowledge advantage to create, apply and disseminate knowledge.

Mechanisms for Change

In order for Andhra Pradesh/Telangana to become a global educational leader, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) will adopt the following strategies to be operationalised into action through appropriate government policies:

• The promotion of sound research in universities and institutes and the achievement of worldwide competitiveness in the quality of higher education
• The linkage of research in institutes with industry needs to best develop Research and Development
• The diversification of funding sources for institutes and universities as a strategy for collaboration and knowledge sharing
• The promotion of innovation through the State Innovation Foundation, which encourages students to use new approaches in science and technology
• The strengthening of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) in the country
• The inclusion of internet and e-learning into standard education systems
• The promotion of new agricultural technology that will provide sustainable food sources
• The protection of traditional knowledge which is particularly at risk due to the expansion of new technologies
• The creation of a comprehensive e-governance system to reduce costs, empower citizens and improve efficiency

Rejuvenating Industry And Economy

Telugu Desam will work to make Andhra Pradesh/Telangana the best place in the country to do business. TDP will prioritise the creation of employment opportunities.

It is committed to:

• A manufacturing strategy for Andhra Pradesh - demonstrating commitment to the manufacturing sector as a powerhouse of a knowledge-driven regional economy.
• Establishing business-led technology-hubs - enabling businesses to access world-class job-creating research in Andhra Pradesh universities.
• A knowledge bank bringing together businesses, researchers and investors - providing a tailored, focused and unified support mechanism for businesses with the potential to be high growth.
• Increasing the efficiency and transparency of the planning system - delivering speedy and consistent planning decisions.
• Making the case of Special Category Status for a competitive tax environment for businesses - allowing companies from India and abroad to invest in growth, R&D and quality jobs.
• Investment in the infrastructure and marketing of the signature projects identified by the Andhra Pradesh Government - the unique selling points for investing in Andhra Pradesh.

Industrial Corridor Strategy

An industrial corridor strategy will be pursued by the new state of Andhra Pradesh for the develop¬ment of futuristic industrial. Our ambitious infrastructure programme aims to develop new in¬dustrial cities as ‘Smart Cities’. The projects will be implemented in partnership with the Union govern¬ment. Industrial cities would be launched with the development of townships of 20-50 sq.km. which are envisaged to be completed by 2020.

The development planned under these projects are expected to result in the following benefits:

• Increase in the industrial output.
• Increase in employment opportunities in the manufacturing/processing industry hubs besides upgrading and developing their skills, thus making them partners in the growth process.
• Have the potential to create over 50 lakh jobs and enhance the state’s industrial output by Rs 20 lakh crore.
• Increase in the exports from the region.
• Development of industrial cities with world-class infrastructure which would involve/attract an estimated investment of around US $ 90-100 billion over the next 25 years.
• Aggressive steps will be initiated to take advantage of Hyderabad’s position in Indian IT industry.
• Quick implementation of IT corridor project will be done.

Youth Policy

A state youth policy on the lines of National Youth Policy will be framed within one year. Young people will be imparted training in entrepreneurial skills and provided with start-up grants and loans at reduced rates for business expansion. The Young Opportunity Fund will provide support to roll out Youth Banks across Andhra Pradesh. These Youth Banks will be run by young people for young people.

I’m proud of the blessings that God has bestowed upon me in my life. He’s given me the vision to truly realise that one can fall down, but one can still get up as well. Hopefully, I’ll learn from my mistakes and have the opportunity to strengthen and improve the next thing I do. My job is to make sure that even as we make progress, we should give people a sense of hope and vision for the future.