The National Democratic Alliance government in Andhra Pradesh, led by Telugu Desam Party president and Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, will complete one month in office by Friday.
Though it is too early to judge the performance of a government within the first 30 days of its formation, some observations can be made, even if not definitive conclusions. This is the case with the Naidu government.
On the positive side, the chief minister made a good start by taking five crucial decisions: signing the file to fill 16,347 teacher posts through a mega recruitment drive, repealing the Land Titling Act, revising pensions from Rs 3,000 to Rs 4,000, reviving Anna Canteens, and conducting a skill census.
The disbursal of the enhanced pension was implemented perfectly on July 1, spending Rs 4,408 crore, and the process for the other promises has been set in motion. Steps have been taken to relaunch 183 Anna Canteens across the state, with some already in operation.
Similarly, the process for the withdrawal of the Land Titling Act and the mega recruitment drive of teachers has also commenced, as has the conduct of the skill census.
Naidu quickly restarted work on the Polavaram irrigation project and the Amaravati capital city, which had been abandoned for a long time. These steps have instilled some confidence in the people.
He began discussions with institutions and organizations to resume their operations in Amaravati. The visit of foreign experts to Polavaram led to the kickstarting of activities.
At the same time, the chief minister has been explaining the status of various sectors to the people by releasing a series of white papers. So far, he has released white papers on Polavaram, Amaravati, and the power crisis. He will be releasing the next white paper on state finances.
In the last month, Naidu also went to Delhi to present a wish list of the state's requirements worth Rs 1 lakh crore to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other Union Ministers. Reports suggest there is a lot of positive response from the Centre.
Naidu also took the first step towards resolving the pending issues between the two Telugu states after bifurcation by having a meeting with his Telangana counterpart A. Revanth Reddy in Hyderabad.
Another important decision taken by Naidu was the revival of the free sand policy to boost the construction sector. Similarly, he held a series of meetings with various industrialists and major central government undertakings like BPCL.
Proposals to set up a petrol refinery unit with an investment of Rs 60,000 crore have been discussed. Discussions have also been held with the automobile company VinFast, and efforts are on to attract investments.
On the other hand, Naidu has also been facing criticism for resorting to revenge politics. From day one, his government has begun initiating probes against the YSRCP leaders and officials of the previous government for alleged acts of omission and commission.
The TDP leaders and cadre have been behaving in a high-handed manner against their political rivals, with reports of party workers attacking YSRCP leaders in several places.
These developments have led to some negative talk in media circles, which is avoidable. It is time for Naidu to focus on welfare and development, rather than taking revenge on the previous rulers.
