Chief minister Chandrababu Naidu is known for his meticulous observation of conventions. He is expecting a stream high-profile visitors to the state of Andhra Pradesh once the construction of Amaravati town is completed. He wants to extend an unprecedented five star hospitality and other associated courtesies to the guests, mostly investors, on whom the ‘prosperity of the state’ hinges. To impress these guests Naidu’ s government has evolved Standardized Operational Procedure’ for extending protocol/ courtesies and facilities to the different category of VVIPs’. From the time the guest arrives in the upcoming international airport in Vijayawada, to the moment he boards the flight to go home, everything is being planned to satisfy the guest and to impress him about AP. Things are planned in such a way that the visit to AP should linger forever in the memory of the guest.
State government has already put in place an escort team to accompany the investors who want to set shop in Andhra Pradesh. These escort officer will take care of the needs of these ‘state-guests’. Some time back the government appointed a committee to give recommendations on way it should receive the guest of Andhra Pradesh in style. Now, the government approved the recommendations.
Things to be observed while welcoming the guests to AP
1. Intimating the arrival and departure of the dignitary telephonically to all the designated officers, appointment of escort officers at the airport, besides providing handsets to the escort officers concerned.
2. The escort officer will have to receive, accompany and see-off the dignitary. The officer will have to obtain boarding pass in advance and to receive and see-off the dignitary at the entrance of the airport. He will have to appoint baggage assistants for the sake of visiting VVIPs. He will have to get permission to allow the vehicle of the VVIPs up to the tarmac of the airport on arrival and departure.
3.Uniforms will have to be provided to the drivers with the names.
4. Apart from offering token gifts to the visiting state-guests, escort officer should also ensure that the car meant for the travel of dignitary, carries magazines, spray bottles, towels, dry fruits in a small box and a booklet on AP.
5, The Senior Officers of the State to be rendered protocol assistance on arrival and departure at the airport .
6. Arrangement should be made for the escort to take care of receiving the baggage of the guest at the ramp/obtaining boarding pass in advance and facilitate the officer to be conducted to the boarding pass area and to immigration check.
7. The escort officers should liaise with various departments and make arrangements as per the taste and requirements of the visiting dignitaries to the State.
8. Government earmarked Rs 4.55 lakh for the purchase of gifts, gift bags, carry bags, sweet boxes, dry fruits, literature on AP, uniform for escort officers, towels and Spray Bottles for the VVIPs visiting the State.
The State government has evolved this policy as many VVIPs, and foreign dignitaries are expected to visit the state to invest in various sectors in a big way soon.
