Andhra Pradesh   

A.P. mood upbeat over securing Fab project

Special Correspondent

TDP failed to attract investments, says Minister

Hyderabad : Andhra Pradesh Government mood was upbeat a day after SemIndia announced the setting up of $ 3 billion Fab facility at Hyderabad and the ruling Congress began looking at ways to reap political benefits from the initiative.

Finance Minister K. Rosaiah was the first among its leaders to attempt scoring political points over the Telugu Desam Party. He said the TDP was soon going to be a `forgotten chapter' in the State and it would be better if it stopped its malicious campaign against the Government. It would do better to appreciate the development mode that the State had been launched into by the Congress Government, he said.

The Government efforts were also leading to the setting up of a ONGC refinery at Kakinada at a cost of Rs.7,500 crores, a greenfield refinery-cum-petrochemical complex with an investment of Rs.8,500 crores by the Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) and expansion of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant capacity, Mr. Rosaiah said. "The cumulative effect of these along with our welfare programmes and the thrust given to the Jala Yagnam would prove costly for the TDP," he said.

Mr. Rosaiah said the MoU with Brandix of Sri Lanka to develop an apparel park at Visakhapatnam was yet another proof of the quality governance of the Congress.

He quoted Union Minister for Information Technology Dayanidhi Maran as saying that the Fab project had been snatched by Andhra Pradesh because of its pro-active initiatives.

Taking a dig at TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu, he said mere publicity would not help the State get investments as prospective investors looked at ground realities. "He criticises the Government every day but has no qualms in claiming the credit for even our achievements." He said the projects in the pipeline substantiated the Congress party's claim that it was providing a working Government. He asked Mr. Naidu to explain his failure in attracting investments in spite of hosting partnership summits and attending international conferences abroad during his tenure.

He said Adidas, a footwear major, would employ 20,000 women in Tada. The Government has committed an initial venture fund of $500 million for investment in various units coming up in the mega Fab city.

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