CM Naidu Asks Collectors To Target 15-20% Growth As Andhra Clocks Over 13% In Q1

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday said the state recorded the highest growth rate of 13.4% in India in the first quarter of FY27, calling on district collectors to achieve a growth rate of up to 20%.

Addressing the eighth collectors’ conference in the secretariat, the Chief Minister said the highest priority should be accorded to leadership qualities among collectors.

“The state achieved 13.4% growth rate in Quarter 1, which is highest in India…15 to 20% growth rate should be achieved,” said Naidu.

He said the state government is developing a strategy to train district collectors in leadership qualities.

Citing the deficit rainfall crisis in the southern state, the CM said collectors should work with perfect planning to ensure water security for farmers and people.

Further, Naidu directed the administrative heads of districts to give priority to field visits to understand ground realities and “resolve the issues on the spot.” According to the TDP supremo, deep-tech governance can deliver unprecedented results and technology-enabled systems such as data lake should accelerate decision-making and improve the quality of services.

He said the coalition government has completed projects including Handri-Neeva, Veligonda Phase-I, Polavaram Left Canal and Bhogapuram International Airport and made it clear that Polavaram project will be dedicated it to the nation by March 2027.

Owing to “geographical imbalances” in the state, Naidu said some regions faced water stress.

If rivers such as the Godavari, Cauvery, Mahanadi and Ganga are interlinked and a national water grid is created, India’s development will become unstoppable, he said.

Further, Naidu called on the collectors to identify growth engines in their districts and develop new sources of wealth and income.

He said every district should identify its top 25 projects while 10 to 15 priority projects should be identified for every constituency.

Though the Konaseema district is known for coconut and paddy, the CM said it has fallen behind in income due to lack of exploring new avenues.

However, by unlocking new opportunities, Eluru district has emerged as one of the best-performing districts with palm oil plantations, he said.

With reforms being undertaken in the Revenue Department, the CM said land issues from as far back as 120 years are being resolved.

Naidu asserted that the southern state will emerge as a “land disputes-free” state by 2027 and alleged that attempts are being made to mislead people through “political motives.” Amidst a chorus of allegations that teacher recruitment through the District Selection Committee (DSC) - 2025 examination had many “irregularities,” the CM asserted that there was no such phenomenon.

Yet some people are repeatedly trying to tarnish the image of the government, he added.

Naidu said results mattered more than reviews and directed officials to submit action taken reports on the issues deliberated at the previous collectors’ conference.

The Chief Minister called on the collectors to remain public servants, stressing that leadership begins with taking ownership.

“Let's remain public servants, avoiding ego We need results, not reviews,” said Naidu, during the two-day conference scheduled on September 10 and 11.

According to the CM, several structural changes were ushered in over the past 27 months in the southern state. He said the results of these initiatives were now visible.

The CM directed the IAS officers to shift from reactive governance to proactive governance, underscoring that pending files amounted to pending development.

Likewise, he said pending plaints also indicate pending justice to people.

A vision without execution is only an aspiration, he said, adding that times have changed where not only delivering work is important but also countering fake propaganda'.

Amid alleged fake propaganda, the TDP supremo directed officials to take the lead to counter misinformation.

Further, he instructed the collectors to refrain from submitting reports which mislead the government and instead present facts.

Naidu also called for healthy competition among government departments as well as among districts.

Likewise, he said secretaries and collectors should also compete among themselves.

Let's share the best practices and implement best policies, said Naidu, adding let us move from intention to implementation'.

The CM summed up his government's approach with the slogan one state, one vision, one mission, that is Swarna Andhra (golden Andhra).