Governor confident new govt will fulfil people’s aspiration

Vijayawada: Governor S Abdul Nazeer in his joint address to the State Assembly highlighted the destruction the state suffered during the last five years of YSRCP government and expressed confidence that the new government will make all-out efforts to fulfill the aspirations of people.

The Governor said the state, which bore the brunt of bifurcation during 2014 unfortunately witnessed yet another bigger debacle in the form of inept governance, where the people were threatened and officers demoralised.

In fact, the damage and losses during 2019-24 have been more severe compared to the state bifurcation in June 2019. During the previous regime democracy was at peril, people were in a state of fear and hardly enjoyed any freedom of living.

The regime of revenge politics had severely hampered the state’s prospects for prosperity and growth. The biggest damage was done to the Brand AP, he said.

The Governor said the uncertain environment had rocked the confidence of peo

ple in general and investors in particular which started showing impact on state finances leaving them in a mess. Financial mismanagement is manifested by diversion of funds, higher taxation despite high inflation, and increase in power sector liabilities, neglect of capital expenditure eventually resulted in slowing down of the economy.

The compound annual growth rate of the state’s own tax revenue slipped from 12.8 per cent to 8.1 per cent during the previous regime. The revenue expenditure increased from 7.8 per cent to 10.5 per cent and capital expenditure growth declined from 26.4 per cent to 3.4 per cent, he observed.

The Governor said that the Amaravati capital region envisioned as a focal point of growth for the nascent state of Andhra Pradesh was totally destroyed. With the attempt to scrap the Amaravati dream, the previous Government confused people with its malicious three capital cities idea under the guise of decentralised governance. During 2019-24, no irrigation project, no new industries, no infrastructure was taken up. Prevalence of an uncertain environment had eventually led the youth towards addiction of illegal substances causing drug menace.

He further said the maladministration during 2019-24 created a trust deficit with regulatory authorities and damaged the brand of AP among investors. Hence the people have now given a strong mandate to NDA to rebuild the brand AP and regain the trust. He congratulated all the newly elected MLAs. He said that under the able leadership of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan the new government will make all-out efforts to fulfill the aspirations of people for developing the state and appealed to people to cooperate with the government in rebuilding the state.