CM Naidu proposes Singapore governance model for Andhra district

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday proposed adopting Singapores best administrative practices in one district as a pilot model and directed officials to prepare a 90-day action plan for implementation. We should adopt Singapores best governance practices by developing one district as a model and implement them through a focused 90-day action plan, he said.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday proposed adopting Singapore's best administrative practices in one district as a pilot model and directed officials to prepare a 90-day action plan for implementation. Addressing the seventh collectors conference at the Secretariat, the Chief Minister stressed the need to adopt a collective ''We'' mindset instead of an individualistic ''Me'' approach, drawing inspiration from Singapore's governance philosophy. ''We should adopt Singapore's best governance practices by developing one district as a model and implement them through a focused 90-day action plan,'' he said. Naidu said that everyone should move away from an individualistic mindset, and he too would replace the word ''I'' with ''We'' in his public discourse. The CM said learning is a continuous process and adopting best practices from anywhere in the world can deliver strong outcomes in governance, administration and development. Highlighting the state's Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP), Naidu said decisions taken today would have a long-term impact on the people of the state and pointed to regional disparities in development. Referring to tribal districts, the CM said Alluri Sitharama Raju district achieved higher GSDP than Parvathipuram Manyam due to value addition in coffee cultivation. Emphasising innovation-led growth, Naidu said the service sector should expand further and Andhra Pradesh contributes nearly 10 percent of the country's agricultural output. Noting that several districts possess rare earth mineral resources, he said processing plants linked to these minerals could create new industrial opportunities and economic growth avenues. According to Naidu, the government is studying the role of district collectors in driving GSDP growth and encouraged officials to come up with innovative development ideas. He cited the collector of Annamayya district as an example of proactive administration and urged collectors to compete in implementing best policies. Further, Naidu suggested healthy competition among collectors and constituencies to accelerate development, welfare delivery and implementation of innovative ideas. The chief minister said field-level officers possess immense experience and valuable information, noting that effective utilisation of their expertise could improve governance outcomes and speed up development. Underlining the importance of tourism-led growth, Naidu said developing beach fronts at Suryalanka, Manginapudi, Visakhapatnam, Srikakulam and Mypadu could create significant livelihood opportunities for local communities. He also said that new national highways would generate fresh economic opportunities by enabling logistics hubs and townships. Further, the Chief Minister instructed district collectors to make effective use of vision units and said that district administration had become more manageable after the reorganisation of districts. ''Earlier, collectors in larger districts had to oversee up to 21 Assembly constituencies and now each collector oversees only about seven Assembly constituencies,'' said Naidu. With technology now widely available, the CM noted that collectors have greater opportunities than before to improve governance, accelerate development and deliver welfare effectively.