Naidu Seeks Closer Ties Among South States At Zonal Meet
20 Aug 2026 3:33 PM IST20 Aug 2026 3:33 PM IST
Speaking at the Southern Zonal Council meeting chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Mahabalipuram, Naidu highlighted the development of Andhra Pradesh and other southern states.
AP CM N Chandrababu Naidu with his South counterparts, DK Siva Kumar, Joseph Vijay and VD Satheeshan,Telangana Dpty CM Bhatti Vikramarkaat the 31st Meeting of the Southern Zonal Council.
Mahabalipuram: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday called for greater cooperation among southern states and urged them to emerge as a key economic force in building Viksit Bharat.
Speaking at the Southern Zonal Council meeting chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Mahabalipuram, Naidu highlighted the development of Andhra Pradesh and other southern states. Chief Ministers of Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Puducherry also attended the meeting. Naidu stressed that stronger coordination between the Centre and southern states would help in faster development and addressing common challenges.
He proposed a bullet train corridor connecting Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and suggested running the bullet train through Kuppam and called for a transport network connecting Amaravati, Bengaluru and Chennai
He also suggested setting up a common logistics network and dry ports across southern states and called for linking the southern power grid with the national grid.
Speaking further, he suggested a joint consortium of universities and skilling institutions from southern states and setting up a Mutual Aid Force for inter-state cooperation during disasters
Chandrababu Naidu called for a common spiritual tourism circuit connecting Tirupati with Kashi, Ayodhya and Char Dham. He also pitched for a $10 trillion southern economy by 2047, saying the region must emerge as a key economic force in building a Viksit Bharat.
Naidu said southern states currently contribute around 31% to India’s GDP and that development of the region is possible only through coordination.
Highlighting Andhra Pradesh’s priorities, the CM said projects like Polavaram, the South Coast Railway Zone and the capital Amaravati are taking shape with the Centre’s support. He added that Amaravati has secured its legal status as the capital. Naidu urged the Centre to expedite approvals for the Dugarajapatnam Port and refinery proposals, and to give clearance for Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada Metro Rail projects and the Kadapa JSW railway link.
Naidu raised long-pending bifurcation issues, stating that institutions under Schedule IX and X of the AP Reorganisation Act remain unresolved even after 12 years. He appealed to the Centre to expedite resolution of these matters along with the resource deficit and issues related to Section 56.
On water, the CM proposed diversion of over 500 TMC of water through the Godavari–Cauvery river-linking project, saying it could provide a permanent solution to Tamil Nadu’s water problems. He called for coordinated efforts by Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu on river-water issues and sought a long-term national plan for Ganga–Cauvery linking with time-bound DPRs and approvals.
The CM’s address drew appreciation from other southern leaders. Karnataka CM D.K. Shivakumar lauded Naidu for speaking about the development of all states with a broad vision as a senior leader. Other Chief Ministers also praised his vision for the comprehensive development of southern states. Naidu concluded by wishing success to the 31st Southern Zonal Council meeting.
( Source : Deccan Chronicle )
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