AP CM Naidu Tells Collectors to Focus on Results, Develop Leadership Skills
Amaravati, Sept 10 (TNT): Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday asked district Collectors to be proactive, develop leadership qualities and adopt a result-oriented approach to achieve government targets and resolve people’s issues.
Addressing the eighth Collectors’ Conference at the Secretariat here, Naidu said the state was undergoing a leadership transition and Collectors should adopt a hybrid model of new-age governance to win the confidence of people.
“Now it is time for results, not reviews,” he said, calling upon Ministers, officials and Collectors to work with “one state, one vision and one mission” towards building Swarnandhra.
Naidu said Andhra Pradesh recorded a 13.44 per cent growth rate in the first quarter, the highest in the country, and stressed the need to achieve a growth rate of 15-20 per cent.
Emphasising leadership and administrative efficiency, he said Collectors should resolve people’s issues on the spot by moving away from outdated systems.
The government was also working on a strategy to train district Collectors in leadership skills, he said.
Referring to the deficit rainfall situation, Naidu directed Collectors to undertake proper planning to address the water crisis and ensure water security for farmers and the public.
He called for “zero tolerance” in drinking water supply and asked Collectors to give priority to field visits to understand ground-level problems and resolve them promptly.
Collectors should work as public servants without ego, he said, adding that Action Taken Reports on decisions taken at previous Collectors’ conferences would henceforth be mandatory.
Naidu also stressed the need for officials to promptly counter misinformation and fake campaigns.
He said officials should take the lead in responding whenever false propaganda was spread.
Deep-tech governance could deliver significant results, while technology-enabled systems such as Data Lake and AWARE should accelerate decision-making and improve the quality of public services, he said.
The Chief Minister said the coalition government had completed projects including Handri-Neeva, Veligonda Phase-I, Polavaram Left Canal and Bhogapuram International Airport.
The Polavaram project would be dedicated to the nation by March 2027, he said.
Referring to water management, Naidu said geographical imbalances had resulted in water stress in some parts of the state.
He advocated interlinking rivers such as the Godavari, Cauvery, Mahanadi and Ganga and creating a national water grid to accelerate India’s development.
Naidu asked Collectors to identify the growth engines of their respective districts and develop new sources of wealth and income.
Every district should identify its top 25 projects, while 10-15 priority projects should be identified for each Assembly constituency, he said.
Citing Konaseema as an example, he said the region was known for coconut and paddy but had not fully explored new avenues for increasing incomes.
In contrast, Eluru district had emerged as one of the better-performing districts by expanding palm oil plantations, he said.
The Chief Minister called upon Ministers, officials and Collectors to compete in delivering government services and winning people’s confidence.
He said several reforms were being implemented in the Revenue Department and land-related issues dating back more than a century had been resolved.
In Amalapuram, a decision was taken on ground-rent lands dating back to 1908 and pattas were issued to 1,416 beneficiaries, he said.
Naidu announced that Andhra Pradesh would emerge as a land-disputes-free state by 2027.
The Chief Minister also said attempts were being made for political reasons to mislead people about government decisions.
He said there were no irregularities in DSC-2025 and appointments under the sports quota were made strictly according to rules.
Naidu appreciated two women officials for effectively responding to misinformation and defending the government’s position.
TNT KM
