Southern States Can Drive India’s Growth, Says Naidu
The meeting discussed a 24-point agenda covering development and pending issues concerning Andhra Pradesh and other southern states
VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has called for greater cooperation and coordination among southern states to resolve inter-state issues and accelerate development, saying the region could emerge as a major engine of India’s growth and collectively build a $10-trillion economy by 2047.
Addressing the 31st Southern Zonal Council meeting chaired by home minister Amit Shah at Mamallapuram in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday, Naidu said the Centre and states should work on the basis of mutual trust and cooperation.
The meeting discussed a 24-point agenda covering development and pending issues concerning Andhra Pradesh and other southern states.
Naidu’s broader vision for the development of the southern states, coupled with his emphasis on cooperative federalism, won praise from Amit Shah and chief ministers of the southern states.
While the CMs arrived with state-specific priorities, Naidu used the platform to pitch a collective roadmap for the South, arguing that confrontation would serve little purpose and that genuine give-and-take among states could accelerate development. Delegates hailed him as an elder statesman and an “elder brother” who could safeguard the interests of the region.
Shah described Naidu as the council’s senior-most and most experienced political voice.
Naidu proposed a high-speed rail corridor connecting Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka via Kuppam, linking Amaravati, Bengaluru and Chennai. He said the project would boost economic activity across the three states.