On Wednesday, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu of Andhra Pradesh told state officials to negotiate with banks and financial institutions in order to cut borrowing costs. Speaking to ministers, secretaries and department heads, he urged officers to take steps that would save public money by lowering interest rates, estimating that such a move could reduce the state’s overall loan burden by about ₹7,000 crore.
He accused the previous administration of tarnishing Andhra Pradesh’s reputation, which he said led banks to hike rates and squander public funds. According to Naidu, his NDA government already saved ₹512 crore last year and an additional ₹1,000 crore so far this year through loan restructuring and talks with lenders.
The CM also highlighted the issue of ₹1,170 crore of central funds that had not yet been spent by various departments. He ordered that these monies be fully utilized by 20 December, with utilisation certificates submitted to the Union for further funding approval. He called on ministers to assume a more proactive role in deploying central money for development projects.
Naidu announced that every department would fall under audit scrutiny by March 2026 and requested ministers to expedite file clearances. He said that every quarter he would review departmental performance and that officials must act swiftly on priority matters such as farmer welfare, crop pricing, road maintenance, job creation, drinking water access, and the rising cost of essential goods.
Addressing procedural issues, he questioned why business rules hinder file clearance, noting that constitutional amendments have long served public interests. He stressed the importance of using technology to enhance public service delivery and that a humanitarian approach ultimately ensures citizen satisfaction.
He confirmed that the NDA government will not raise power tariffs this year. Instead, efforts are underway to bring down the power purchase price to ₹4 per unit from the current ₹4.92. Naidu also highlighted the state’s renewed brand image and its attractiveness to investors, citing the successful CII partnership summit in Visakhapatnam as a prime example.
The CM reported that the state achieved a 12.02 % growth rate in the first quarter and 11.28 % in the second quarter of 2025‑26, and set an ambitious target of 17.11 %. He noted a strong focus on irrigation, with 944 tmc of water stored across several projects.
He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to regional development, pointing out that Andhra Pradesh boasts the nation’s highest number of industrial parks—638 in total. He revealed plans for three economic zones—North Andhra and East Godavari in Visakhapatnam, West Godavari, Krishna, Guntur and Prakasam around Amaravati, and Tirupati encompassing Nellore and Kurnool—to be fully developed.
Finally, Naidu declared that all government services would be made available online by 15 January and directed lagging departments to improve their digital services.
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