Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu said on Thursday Andhra Pradesh had emerged as a most favoured destination for investments in spite of being denied the special category status.
“Everyone is talking about Special Category Status, but look at Himachal Pradesh, which has got only 1.4 per cent of the total investments in the country. Of the total investments to the tune of Rs. 954 crore made in various States, AP alone accounted for 15.8 per cent followed by Gujarat (14.5 per cent), Maharashtra (10.9 per cent), Mr. Naidu said quoting recent figures released by the Reserved Bank.
Stressing the need for creating a conducive climate for doing business citing disturbances in Bengaluru over the Cauvery waters, Mr. Naidu said law and order problems would instill a sense of insecurity in the minds of investors.
“We should create an ecosystem for various businesses to thrive and prosper. We have done it in Hyderabad and it had emerged as a favoured hub for IT companies. I want to create a similar ecosystem in Amaravati and you will see the results in 4-5 years.’’
Reiterating his vision for placing the State among the top three in the country by 2022, Mr. Naidu said he would like to see the State emerge as the top one in development and happiness index.
“I have also set a target for the entire State to become open defecation free by 2019,’’ he added.
