Call to project AP’s cordial atmosphere in all sectors to attract investments

VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has called upon the officials to project AP’s cordial atmosphere to attract investments and give entrepreneurs the requisite permissions promptly and without delay. This would help the state develop in a big way, he said.

He was chairing a high-level review meeting with mines minister Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy and senior officials at his camp office here on Monday. Officials from the departments of commercial tax, excise, registration and mines were present.

The chief minister said commercial tax officials must create awareness among the masses and come up with a hassle-free system for the people to pay tax. Officials must be alert against some agencies resorting to fraudulent practices. “Deal with such agencies firmly,” he said.

There is the need to organise trade advisory committee meetings on a regular basis, he said.

The CM referred to a series of steps the state initiated -- be it the removal of belt shops, cancelling permit rooms, curbs on illegal manufacture or raising the rates of liquor. He said the sale of liquor had come down in the state.

The special enforcement bureau must check illegal manufacture of liquor and its sale. “Ensure provision of alternative sources of employment to those engaged in such activities so that they would not go back to bootlegging. “Book cases of illegal cultivation and transport of ganja especially in agency areas,” he said and felt the need to provide alternative sources of employment to such cultivators.

"Find out whether such people are having pattas under provisions of Forest Rights Act, 2006,” he said and asked the officials to provide pattas to the eligible and encourage such people to take up cultivation of regular crops. “Provide them seeds and fertilisers so that they would not resort to the illegal practice of ganja cultivation,” he said.

The CM called for spread of awareness among the village/ward secretariat staff on the land resurvey programme and among the people on registration of deeds at village/ward secretariats. He called for upgradation of the sub-registrar offices in the state.

The CM also called for paying more attention on the mines that are not functional to make them operational.