Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Nara Chandrababu Naidu earlier tweeted “The people of AP have given me a historic opportunity to make it No.1 state in India. I’m working day and night to make it a reality.” In his valedictory speech at the 23rd edition of the CII Partnership Summit-cum-Second Sunrise Andhra Pradesh Investment Meet, Governor ESL Narsimham stated that Naidu works “25×8” and makes the machinery run at his pace.
Referring to the 328 MoUs that were signed at the 2016 Partnership Summit that was held in Visakhapatnam in 2016, Naidu said that 50 % of the MoUs had translated into projects. Delighted by the success of the 2017 summit, the CM proclaimed that the government signed 665 MoUs (Memorandum of Understanding) envisaging an investment of ₹10.54 lakh crore with an employment potential of 22.34 lakh.
Naidu assured to host the next round of Partnership Summit and Sunrise AP Investment Meet in a centre which he declared will be ready in a record time 12 months. The centre would also have a star hotel, exhibition hall and shopping complex.
He also announced development of Visakhapatnam, Amaravati and Tirupati as mega cities, 14 smart cities and creating economic cities in 100 to 300 acres in all the 110 municipalities.
The Union Minister for Roads, Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, had sanctioned rupees 20,000 crore for the 186-km Amaravati Outer Ring Road (ORR) and an MoU was signed to the effect on the day.
Gadkari also announced two coastal economic zones will be created at a cost of Rs 20,000 crore as part of the Sagarmala project in Andhra Pradesh. Both the zones, one covering Srikakulam to Vijayawada and the other from Vijayawada to Nellore, will come under Visakhapatnam-Chennai industrial corridor.
The Union minister also asserted that work on Buckingham canal in Andhra Pradesh will begin after the assembly elections in Punjab and Uttar Pradesh. The cost of this joint venture project between the state and central governments is rupees 2,000 crore.
The Centre has already approved rupees 75,000 crore for the 3000 kilometer, six-lane national highway from Anantapur to Amaravati.
A proposal for 250-km Rayalaseema express highway which would become the country’s biggest ring road and Visakha Rayapur six-lane road would link all the major lines boosting freight was put forth.
A floating hotel, built on a mini-ship, will come up on the Krishna river near the Pavitra Sangamam, upstream the Prakasam Barrage near Vijayawada. Three projects include, floating hotel at an investment of Rs 20 crore, a service apartments project near Vijaywada at a cost of Rs 250 crore and a ropeway project at Kotappakonda in Guntur district at cost Rs 7.5 crore.
Furthermore, rupees 250 crore was sanctioned for the construction of an iconic bridge between Vijayawada and Amaravati and rupees 3500 crore for 300 rail over-bridges and under-bridges.
Patanjali co-founder Acharya Balakrishna entered into a MoU with the state government and has offered to invest Rs 1,000 crore in Andhra Pradesh in agro-based food processing, cattle breeding and a facility for research and development in ayurveda.
GAIL has signed an MoU expressing intent for setting up the petrochemical plant. The 50:50 joint venture will set up a 1.5-million tonnes ethylene derivatives plant in Petroleum, Chemical and Petrochemicals Investment Region (PCPIR) sites identified in Kakinada.
Geneva-based International Trade Centre has shown keen interest in extending its expertise for the development of the proposed World Trade Centres in Visakhapatnam and Amaravati.
The CM announced tie-up with Chinese IT companies to develop an IT park at Visakhapatnam with an estimated investment of Rs 9,426 crore.
A statement regarding the establishment of educational institutions by Stanford University, Oxford University, Harvard and Cambridge Universities in the state with an estimated investment of Rs 15,500 crore was made.
Naidu who said that he was working as a ‘number one coolie’ for 24 hours a day for the summit, was given a standing ovation for his detailed presentation on Vision 2029 to make the State the best destination in the world and to make Amaravati a futuristic city.
