BJP’s maiden budget was good but does not have much for Andhra Pradesh to celebrate as it failed to make the mention of the much-needed financial support for the cash-starved State, which is expected to build its capital city shortly. Expectation from the alliance partner was beyond institutions like AIIMS and IIT, according to the Chief Minister and the industry captains.
Responding on the Budget allocations at a media conference in Hyderabad, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu himself said much more was expected from the Centre in terms of assistance. “There are several financial issues in the State. We need to get special packages and financial support etc. So much needs to be done. We are taking all measures to realise our objectives.” He, however, said the objective of the Budget is to bring the country to developmental track and the current measures are desirable.
Allocation of institutions and infrastructural facilities such as Vizag-Chennai industrial corridor, AIIMS, IIT and Hardware Park at Kakinada will be helpful in making Andhra Pradesh a developed State in the east coast according to Mr. Naidu.
While acknowledging the Centre’s effort in presenting an ideal budget suited for the industry and the country as a whole, the industry umbrella body Confederation of Indian Industries said that the Centre could have been more assertive in specifying sops to the fledgling AP. Similar promises made to naya-Raipur in Chhattisgarh have not been fruitful in the expected lines according to CII.
Speaking to The Hindu , CII chairman (for combined AP) Suresh Chitturi said, “Allocation and indication of institutions and projects sound good but a concrete statement on finances, support for building of capital and little more detail on re-building of the State could’ve been great. Just for instance, it’s been 10 years of development but not much to talk about in naya-Raipur.”
In contrast to the initial promise of developing smart cities in the new State, the Centre has just talked about one industrial smart city at Krishnapatnam Port according to the industry. The announcement is not much different from ‘Krishnapatnam industrial node’ which was already indicated by the earlier government, said a Hyderabad based industrialist.
Going by the past experience, promises are not fully met and institutions did take longer time to take shape according to an industrialist having major interests in IT and infrastructure. “Just look at the IIT in Hyderabad which was established five years ago, the construction is yet to be completed. Promises need to be backed by finances and timelines,” he said on condition of anonymity.
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