AP Govt committed to all-round development: Governor

Hyderabad, Feb 11 (UNI) Confident of Andhra Pradesh achieving a double digit economic growth, Governor N D Tiwari today said the state was determined to eliminate regional disparities, provide transparent, efficient and caring governance to the people and ensure that the benefits of high economic growth reached the poor.

Delivering his address to the joint session of the State Assembly and Council, he exuded confidence that the State would achieve the target of nine per cent annual growth in the overall economy with a sub-target of 4.5 per cent for agriculture in the eleventh five-year plan.

''The State is poised to achieve an annual growth rate of 10.37 per cent as against the national growth rate of 8.7 per cent in 2007-08,'' he expressed confidence.

Mr Tiwari said that to make the double digit growth a reality on a sustainable basis over the next two decades, the State Government was committed to step up both social and physical infrastructure, including four-lane connectivity to all important towns, multi-speciality hospitals in all the districts, university in every district, air connectivity, ports in all coastal districts, supply of quality power on 24x7 basis, promotion of industrial estates and Special Economic Zones in all districts and promotion of vocational education and skill upgradation.

The state had achieved an average annual growth rate of 8.73 per cent for four years, including the current year, as against a meagre average annual growth rate of 5.79 per cent for 1994-2004, he added.

The Governor expressed the state government's resolve to fight terrorism and extremism in all forms, which had become a ''global phenomenon'' and accord topmost priority for maintenance of law and order. The state had been experiencing the longest spell of peace and tranquility, barring a few isolated incidents, he pointed out.

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