Beginning of economic recovery: CM

•  Managing legacy problem of low revenue & high expenditure with Centre’s support
•  Amaravati will assume concrete shape in 2-3 years with enhanced connectivity
•  Rs 30,000-crore Rayalaseema Horticulture Hub to accelerate regional growth

Amaravati: Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu has said that Andhra Pradesh would take time to recover fully from the “devastation” caused by the previous YSR Congress Party regime but asserted that the present Budget paves way for improvement and sets the State on a path of recovery.

Speaking to the media in the Assembly lobby on Saturday after the Budget was presented in the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly, the Chief Minister said the State is managing the legacy problem of low revenues and high expenditure with support from the Centre. “The Budget is better, but many challenges remain. We need time to fully stabilise,” he said.

On Amaravati, Naidu said the capital city would take concrete shape in two to three years and stressed that infrastructure connectivity would play a decisive role in strengthening its economic base. He noted that the Western Bypass has already improved access to the capital, and the upcoming Inner Ring Road and Outer Ring Road would further enhance connectivity. Linking Amaravati to national highways, he said, would increase traffic flow and revenue generation. “This is not just about developing a capital city; it is crucial for the State’s economy,” he remarked.

The Chief Minister said the National Democratic Alliance coalition government is developing Amaravati as a greenfield city and recently laid the foundation stone for Quantum Valley buildings, signalling the State’s ambitions in frontier technologies. He described the initiative as comparable to the Hyderabad IT revolution and said the long-term goal is to position Amaravati among the world’s top three quantum technology hubs.

Highlighting regional development, Naidu expressed his satisfaction over the Rs 30,000 crore allocation for the Rayalaseema Horticulture Hub. He said the once drought-hit region is now emerging as a major fruit producer, particularly pomegranates, and credited irrigation projects such as Handri–Neeva for the transformation. Plans are underway to develop Rayalaseema, Prakasam and Markapuram into a global horticulture hub with a production target of 500 million metric tonnes, he added.

Naidu voiced his confidence that within the next two to three years, the State would be in a strong fiscal position, with higher incomes from agriculture and services, citing strong demand for Ongole dairy products and Anantapur fruits as examples.