Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday said the state government would announce a set of measures within the next two days to shield Andhra Pradesh from the economic and social impact of the ongoing conflict in West Asia.
Speaking at Nidamarru village in Guntur district after laying the foundation stone for a private medical college and skill development centre, Naidu said the government was closely monitoring the effects of the continuing US-Israel-Iran tensions and would soon unveil preventive steps to safeguard the state.
“Either tomorrow or the day after, we will announce what precautionary measures need to be taken to protect the state from the impact of the war,” Naidu said.
Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent call for austerity and economic discipline, the Chief Minister urged citizens to act responsibly and contribute towards strengthening the national economy. Echoing the Prime Minister’s appeal, he advised people to avoid unnecessary purchases of gold and limit foreign travel, stressing the importance of economic self-reliance.
Highlighting Andhra Pradesh’s mineral potential, Naidu said the state was preparing to launch a gold mine in Kurnool district in June. He claimed the mine could eventually contribute up to 60 per cent of India’s domestic gold production.
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“When gold is imported, valuable foreign exchange leaves the country. Domestic production can significantly reduce that burden,” he said, while calling for greater public cooperation in achieving self-sufficiency.
The Chief Minister also urged people to reduce petrol and diesel consumption to help conserve foreign exchange reserves. Pointing to the growing acceptance of remote working, he said the work-from-home model had become a practical reality and predicted that many industries across the world could eventually shift towards remote operations.
Naidu further criticised the trend of oversized political convoys and advised elected representatives to cut down the number of vehicles in their cavalcades and reduce excessive security arrangements in order to lead by example.
Emphasising the need to reduce dependence on foreign fuel imports, he said the state had prepared a roadmap for expanding domestic green energy production. He encouraged households and farmers to install rooftop solar panels and solar units in agricultural fields to generate electricity locally.
After inaugurating the projects at Nidamarru, Naidu called upon industrialists to invest in Amaravati and contribute to the state’s development. He also pointed to rising global demand for healthcare workers due to ageing populations in many countries and encouraged young people to learn foreign languages to improve overseas employment prospects in nursing and paramedical sectors.
The Chief Minister said digital healthcare services would be expanded through the Sanjeevani platform, which focuses on digitising medical records. He stressed the importance of preventive healthcare alongside treatment-based medical services.
Naidu directed officials and project developers to complete the proposed medical college and skill centre within one year. He also instructed authorities to expedite work on the Google data centre and the ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel projects in Visakhapatnam.
“It is the government’s responsibility to provide approvals in auto-pilot mode, while industries must ensure timely completion and commencement of operations,” he said.
The Chief Minister further announced that Amaravati would become home to India’s first quantum computer by December.
Reiterating support for farmers who had contributed land for the development of the greenfield capital, Naidu said Amaravati would be transformed into a futuristic city through additional land pooling and major infrastructure initiatives, including a proposed 190-km Outer Ring Road.
He added that new bridges and flyovers would be constructed across the Krishna river, while airports, hotels, hospitals and other urban infrastructure would also be expanded.
Naidu said both Amaravati and Visakhapatnam would be developed into globally competitive cities, while the Rayalaseema region would be positioned as a major hub for horticulture and technology industries.
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