Power reforms to water security: Naidu comes up with 5-point formula to fuel India’s growth

Visakhapatnam: TDP chief Nara Chandrababu Naidu has come up with five strategies that he said can fuel growth and make India a global leader.

Unveiling Vision-2047 in the presence of youth at MGM Park in Visakhapatnam, Naidu said India is expected to become the third economic power in the world. He said if the five most important strategies are adopted, India will be the global leader

Here are the five strategies:

First strategy: Andhra Pradesh was a leader in power sector reforms in the late 90s. The cost of solar power dropped from Rs 8 per unit to Rs 2. India can adopt this model to achieve self-sufficiency in renewable energy.

Second strategy: Water demand is growing since the population is increasing. Urbanisation along with industrialisation are equally draining water resources. The interlinking of rivers is the only solution. Andhra Pradesh is a model state in this regard.

Third strategy: Digital technology plays a major role in the progress of the nation. Aadhar, bank accounts, UPI, health-vaccine, mobile phones e-rupee, and others have brought digital revolution. Naidu opined that digital technology can help India become a global leader.

Fourth strategy: P-4, as it is called, is about demographic management. It plays a major role in achieving the targets. Observing that India has more working population than a dependent population, Naidu said the earning population in the age group of 15 to 59 is fast declining, particularly in the States of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh while the population in the same age group is increasing in States like Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

Fifth strategy: India can lead the world through its economic prowess. Indian citizens can become global citizens.

"Experts say it is the decade of India. However, we need to convert it to the Century of India," Naidu said in the document.

“In power sector reforms adopted in the late 90s, Andhra Pradesh was a leader. Even now we will try to reduce the power charges by 30 percent by setting up hydrogen and ammonia hubs along with research centres in various parts of the State," he explained.

Recalling that the then prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee constituted a committee on the inter-linking of rivers, Naidu said that only Andhra Pradesh could complete the Godavari and Krishna link in a record time through Pattiseema Lift Irrigation project.

He felt that if the interlinking of rivers is taken up the drought-prone Rayalaseema will turn into fertile land through the Pothireddipadu regulator while all the seasonal crops can be supplied irrigation water even in the remotest corners of the State.

He stated that the Telugu people can easily move to any place. He said India should target the diaspora to reach 10 crore from the present 1.8 crore.

"Telugus are capable of leading the nation. Economic reforms were introduced in the country when PV Narasimha Rao was the prime minister. He brought a revolutionary change in the whole nation which transformed India to grow economically and in other fields. That is the greatness of Telugu people," said Naidu.