HYDERABAD: Chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy on Saturday declared that Andhra Pradesh was confident of achieving a growth rate of 10 per cent during the 12th Plan period. He said the corresponding sectoral growth targets would be 6 per cent for agriculture, 10.5 per cent for industry and 11.5 per cent for services. The chief minister, speaking at the meeting of the National Development Council in Delhi, chaired by prime minister Manmohan Singh, said under Jalayagnam, the state government had taken up 86 major and medium irrigation projects with a massive outlay of Rs 1,86,000 crore that included creation of new ayacut, stabilisation of the existing ayacut, modernisation of irrigation system and flood control in a comprehensive manner.He also explained the efforts of the state government in bringing 26 lakh licensed cultivators into the mainstream and ensuring access of all benefits like crop loans, input subsidy and crop insurance. The government had promulgated the landmark AP Land Licensed Cultivators Ordinance, 2011. AP is the only state in the country to have enacted such a progressive legislation for the benefit of tenant farmers, he said.Kiran Kumar said AP stood first in the country in meat and egg production and it had targeted an annual growth rate of 9 per cent. It also accounts for 40 per cent of the country’s marine exports and the sector contributes 2.58 per cent to the GSDP. He sought for adding 25 lakh tonnes of scientific storage capacity for foodgrains in the broader national interests. He said the minimum support price fixed for foodgrains should compulsorily take into account the scientifically calculated cost of cultivation and it should be remunerative to farmers. This is specially relevant to AP since the state substantially contributes to the national food security. The chief minister also explained the new schemes proposed which include Stree Nidhi Credit Co-operative Society, Skill Development Centres and Rs 1-a-kg rice scheme.
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