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Journalism of Courage
Nara Lokesh, National General Secretary of TDP and the Andhra Pradesh Minister for HRD, IT, Electronics and Real-Time Governance, on their mega project of skill census, on the financial crisis in the state and decentralised development plans. The session was moderated by Nikhila Henry, Assisant Editor, Politics
Before I answer about Amaravati, I think we should look at how Naidu has designed investments for Andhra Pradesh. Between 2014 and 2019, we had 13 districts and each district had a specific focus area. Chittoor, which is also part of the Rayalaseema region, was made the Electronics Manufacturing Cluster (EMC). Kadapa was the sports capital. Kurnool was the renewable energy and cement capital. Prakasam was supposed to be the paper capital but the project got stalled because of a change of government.
I’ll be focusing on every district. Let’s take automotive and look at it from a sectoral perspective. So anything related to automotive will come to Anantapur because Kia and all its ancillaries are already based out there. Similarly, electronics… From a panel manufacturer to a lithium-ion battery manufacturer to housing… the entire ecosystem, we wanted to bring into the 100-km radius of Tirupati. And the entire renewable energy, the pump storage projects, the solar wind was to come from Kurnool district and cement manufacturing too, because the mines are there. Vizag lends itself well to IT. There are already investments in. We signed a massive agreement with Adani to do a 15 billion-dollar investment with renewable energy-backed data centers and then work got stalled in the previous YSRCP (Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party) administration. We are reviving all those agreements and kick-starting the entire ecosystem.
As you have said, it was promised and not delivered. Naidu has already delivered on that promise… We have proved that decentralised development works. Ecosystem cluster-based development is the way forward… We don’t believe in creating multiple capitals and more overheads for the government… It doesn’t work, it has to be thematic and focused, in terms of attracting investments for that particular district in that particular sector.
Fundamentally, TDP has been an ally to BJP and this goes back to Vajpayee ji’s time. Even back then our support has been unconditional and we continue to support BJP unconditionally. Of course, ideologically, we will have opinions and we will sit as partners and resolve those issues.
This issue came up even during Vajpayee ji’s time, as well. South India went for family planning quite early and that is where south India has to a certain degree, a disadvantage if you go based on population and this is something we’re going to definitely discuss as an NDA ally. When the framework is put out, we’re going to put our opinion forward. It’s very important to protect the interests of all the states. It’s not just an Andhra issue.
What I am trying to look at is, what are the skills required, not for tomorrow but for day after, and what are the sectors where you’re going to see growth. It’s quite clear that AI is here. We are excited about making Andhra Pradesh the AI capital of India… I’ve given myself a 100-day time to look at the entire curriculum from KG to PG… I am looking at best practices in different parts of India… And after talking to unions, teachers and other stakeholders, we will have an action plan for the government education system, cutting across universities. It will be put before the public for further improvement… On the parallel side, we have a mega project called the skill census, where we are taking the family as a unit, to understand their skills… The question is, what is the value creation that we are doing… One part is transforming, creating thought leaders for the next generation but also looking at jobs that will get created.
We are siblings. There’s really no rivalry. I think we can have a healthy competition between the two states. The bifurcation was hurried. A lot of contentious issues such as institutions, assets and liabilities are stuck. Then there’s water sharing issues. We’ll sit across the table and resolve these issues and also those related to law and order.
In the past, there were certain contentious issues on which we disagreed and definitely we fought over it, and parted ways. But then looking back at the entire journey as a political party we believe that was against the interests of the state. Being a new state, we definitely need the support of the Central government, we need the hand holding. Due to the lack of that support even the state suffered, and the people of Andhra Pradesh, too. So we see the need to be part of the national alliance and in turn we will get the requisite support that was promised to us as part of the bifurcation.
I think everyone agrees there was a leak. The government of India itself agreed there was a leak. Action was taken but if you look at it, examinations need to be standardised. So it gives students across the board, across states, an equal opportunity. That’s very important as a nation.
I am a believer in computer adaptive testing. It is proven across the globe. It ensures that there’s no exam leaks. Like the SATs, I think you should look at a technology-based intervention. Andhra has done some good work in that sense. Historically, we have done computer-adaptive testing. Even in our District Selection Committee (DSC), for teachers, recruitment is being done through TET (Teacher Eligibility Test). It can be a robust model and might be the way forward for the nation.
In the past, I have supported the need for English medium schools. We were not against that, however, we said that it should be a gradual transition. We have to ensure that the local language and regional languages are protected. It’s not just about Telugu medium because Andhra borders Odisha, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. So, we have Tamil, Odia and Kannada medium schools in Andhra… The biggest problem is that there is no capacity in the field… Between 2019 and 2024, we lost close to 72,000 students in the government education system. We really need to improve quality, link it to learning outcomes, use technology to measure outcomes, engage with parents better, like having PTMs, hold sports fairs and craft competitions to ignite young minds to think creatively, beyond the textbook.
I’m extremely greedy, I would like to have a role in the entire supply chain. If you look at the industry, there’s a huge opportunity in server assembly, the manufacturing, the boards and so on, that will go to Chittoor. The entire education will happen in Amaravati. Naidu and I are working on a plan. Hopefully, we’ll be able to unveil it to India in the next 120 days, specifically targeting AI – in politics, business, media and entertainment…to look at the entire ecosystem.
Firstly, they were launching a scheme a week and also a scam a week — the liquor, the sand. So, I think the government was over-fixated about just pushing a button. I believe the role of government is far beyond just welfare. The TDP party symbol cycle has two wheels — one is the development wheel and the other is the welfare wheel. The development wheel should move the welfare wheel. That’s something that we have proved. It’s not that YSRCP has invented welfare, in fact TDP introduced welfare in Andhra Pradesh under the leadership of NTR… I think the FM was very clear that the Rs 15,000 crore is going to be arranged by a multilateral agency but will be paid for by the government of India. So, it’s a grant, where the financial obligation does not rest on the state. So that’s a great break for us because we are really cash strapped.
Our approach is not to stop the schemes or any decision of the erstwhile government. I think that’s the wrong way of looking at things… The Polavaram Project is a great example of that. The YSRCP government said they will do reverse tendering. They didn’t save much but then they destroyed the cofferdam. Thousands of crores of rupees disappeared because they delayed it… I truly believe that the state’s responsibility is not just about pushing a button. You have to create policies. You have to get investments. You have to get the next generation job ready.
When Naidu was in power, welfare did happen and huge industrial investments came into Andhra Pradesh. We meet all our debt obligations, all our financial obligations like pensions, government employees, salaries, TADAs on the first of every month. Then came the YRSCP government. It rakes up four times more debt than the TDP and stalls the entire economic growth engine… they couldn’t even meet the salary or the pension obligations of employees… So, are we in a debt crisis? I would say we are in a financial crisis. I really don’t know how deep it is to classify it as a debt crisis but as a responsible government, our job is to now revive the economic engine.
It’s absolutely false. It’s being used by Jagan. His party is on a ventilator and he’s using this as oxygen and nothing beyond that. There were three of TDP kariyakartas have been killed and I have all the documentation related to it. If Jagan believes 31 people have been killed then he should give me their names, their location and the reason or how they have been killed. He doesn’t have anything.
We take our victories the way we take our defeats, with a lot of balance. The people of Andhra Pradesh have been very kind and have given us an amazing victory and it’s important to meet their aspirations… Yes, I was in Delhi when Naidu was arrested… Even today if you ask Jagan, do you have any proof, there’s absolutely no evidence… It’s just been a witch hunt, the people understood that and gave us a resounding mandate. We need to now set the state in the right direction, bring back law and order, grow the entire economy, create jobs. That’s our agenda… Politics is not T20, it is a test match. It requires a lot of patience and stamina.
Fundamentally, post bifurcation, Andhra Pradesh had one of the lowest per capita incomes in south India. Freebies in isolation don’t work, they result in inflation… Freebies shouldn’t come at the cost of development and vice versa, so it’s important that the government balances both… Midday meals are partially funded by the Central government and MGNREGA is another example. So there are ways that we can create assets for the nation… It’s very important if you want to create a vibrant ecosystem that is self-sufficient. Performance-linked incentive is a support from the state… So yes, both welfare and development should go together and that’s the way Naidu looked at it. Even in his first and second terms, we call it the golden era of Andhra Pradesh, between 1994 and 2004. He began Deepam, which was a scheme where free gas connections were given to women with a free stove and all that. But then there are two ways to look at it. It’s a freebie, but it resulted in improving the health of the women in rural areas. They didn’t have to burn wood and inhale all the smoke. So, that’s the way we look at it as the Telugu Desam Party.
