Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has suggested that some of Singapore’s best administrative practices be adopted in one district as a model and a 90-day action plan be prepared for implementing Singapore-inspired governance practices on a larger scale in future.
Speaking at the Collectors’ Conference on Singapore–Andhra Pradesh Governance Excellence (SAGE) Program on Thursday, Mr. Naidu said adopting best practices from anywhere in the world could deliver strong outcomes, while observing that the government was studying the role of District Collectors in driving Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) growth and they needed to come up with innovative ideas for development.
Growth avenues
He emphasised the need to focus on development and accelerate progress through innovation and highlighted that the services sector must expand further. He pointed out that Andhra Pradesh (A.P.) contributes nearly 10% of the country’s agricultural output and several districts have rare earth minerals ready for exploration. Establishing processing plants related to these minerals could create additional avenues for growth and industrial development, he asserted.
The Chief Minister cited the Collector of Annamayya district as an example of proactive administration and urged Collectors to compete in implementing best policies and suggested creating healthy competition not only among themselves but also among the constituencies within districts.
Beach tourism
Mr. Naidu underlined the importance of tourism-led growth and said developing beach fronts at Suryalanka, Manginapudi, Visakhapatnam, Srikakulam, Mypadu and other coastal areas would create significant livelihood opportunities for local communities.
Also, he instructed the Collectors to make effective use of vision units and noted that administration of districts has become more manageable after their reorganisation. “Earlier, Collectors in large districts had to oversee up to 21 Assembly Constituencies (ACs). Now, each Collector takes care of only about seven. As technology is available widely, Collectors have far greater opportunities than before to improve governance, accelerate development and deliver welfare effectively,” the Chief Minister added.
Enlightening tour
Ministers K. Atchannaidu, P. Narayana, Vangalapudi Anitha, Y. Satya Kumar Yadav, Anagani Satya Prasad and B.C. Janardhan Reddy, who returned from a study tour in Singapore recently, provided a comprehensive overview of their experiences, key learnings, and vital insights regarding governance reforms.
They highlighted 'Meet the People', the system of redressing people’s grievances in Singapore, integrated planning observed by them during visits to the Singapore Urban Redevelopment Authority and the National University of Singapore, the adoption of advanced technologies by the PSA Port, water management and flood control at Marina Barrage, the Singapore model of disaster preparedness and the digital governance architecture of Singapore among others as the striking features from which A.P. could learn a lot.
Pilot projects
It was decided to take up pilot projects on climate-resilient infrastructure, cyber security and emergency preparedness, rural health services and digital health initiatives, digitalisation of land services, road safety and public transport enhancement and integration of natural farming and markets.