Chief Minister vows to transform A.P. into zero-poverty State

N. Chandrababu Naidu aims to eradicate poverty in Andhra Pradesh while focusing on industry growth and welfare continuation.

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on June 25 (Tuesday) vowed to make Andhra Pradesh a zero-poverty State by prudently utilising all the available resources, besides giving a big fillip to industries and infrastructure building. At the same time, welfare would also continue.

Addressing a public meeting at the NTR Junction here, the Chief Minister, who is on a two-day official tour, observed that the previous YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) government had ‘emptied the State’s coffers and thrown the State into a vortex of debts’.

“I and Pawan Kalyan (Deputy Chief Minister) held preliminary meetings to ascertain from where the debts were procured and to what extent. We hope to get a clear picture soon. Many wondered how I would be able to manage the financial situation, but I have the blessings of the people and strong willpower to overcome the hurdles,” Mr. Naidu said, adding that the Jagan Mohan Reddy government had shattered the economic balance in the State.

The Chief Minister deplored that during the 2019-24 regime of the YSRCP, the State witnessed the worst-ever atrocities, undemocratic administration, and rowdyism. “I vow in the name of N.T. Rama Rao that rowdyism would be suppressed, and those who dare to indulge in rowdyism would face severe action,” Mr. Naidu said.

The NDA government in the State was committed to rooting out the ganja menace in the next 100 days, for which an action plan had been chalked out with a five-member team of Ministers, he said, and accused the previous government of turning the State into a haven for violence, rowdyism, murders, and looting of mineral wealth.

Referring to the allocation of Cabinet portfolios to various social groups, Mr. Naidu said, “We are going to rewrite the history of Andhra Pradesh and have already accorded top priority to youth, women, backward classes, and minorities.”

The Chief Minister said that his immediate focus would be on undoing the “destruction” caused by the YSRCP government, particularly to the State’s finance, the Polavaram project, Amaravati capital, and spurious liquor menace, which led to tragic deaths in many families, and looting of mineral wealth.