Govt made rapid stride in development: AP CM

Hyderabad, Feb 21 (UNI) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy today said the State had developed manifolds during the last three years due to various developmental activities initiated by the government.

Replying to the debate on the motion of thanks to the Governor's address, he said the Gross State Domestic Product(GSDP) had increased to 10.37 per cent this year as against 8.73 per cent of the National GDP. It would increase to nearly 12 per cent in future as per the advance estimates, he added.

Dr Reddy said during the nine-year tenure of Telugu Desam Party(TDP), the GSDP was only 5.85 per cent on an average, whereas during the last three years, the average was 8.73 per cent.

The Chief Minister said the GSDP recorded an increase due to measures taken up by the State and the Central government during the last three years. The government had taken up pending irrigation projects with a view to provide irrigated water to remote areas to increase the agricultural production, he added.

He said the government had already provided irrigated water to additional 14 lakh acres and investing huge funds for irrigation.

The TDP, during 2003-04, had provided Rs 1770 crores for irrigation, whereas the government during the first year after assuming charge, had doubled the amount from Rs 3,300 crore and Rs 6350 crore in the second and Rs 9,100 crore for the third year, he added.

He said the government had earmarked Rs 13,000 crore for the current financial year and it would be increased to Rs 16,500 crore during the next year.

Dr Reddy said the government had given priority to agriculture, which would boost the state's economy and lead to rural development.

The government had also given importance to the public sector undertakings(PSU), neglected by the TDP government, he added.

He said the Andhra Pradesh GENCO, which was running into profits, will be able to generate 9,000 MW power in future.

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