AP CM directs energy department to focus on MSME sector

New Delhi, Aug 20 (KNN) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has directed the Energy Department to put special focus on speeding up infrastructure works to provide quality supply to MSME parks across the state.

He said, “Special focus should be given to MSME sector as it plays an important role in generating employment at the local level.”

Speaking with officials of Energy Department and Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (APIIC) through a teleconference on Sunday, Chief Minister said that the power sector in the state has been strengthened and now the focus is on providing better quality services to encourage MSME sector to achieve a balanced regional growth and bottom up economic transformation.

The government has proposed to set up MSME parks in 175 Assembly constituencies in a phased manner and allocated Rs 200 crores for the sector.

According to Chief Secretary Dinesh Kumar, 29,020 MSMEs have been established in the last four years with a total investment of Rs 13,053 crores.

He said around 3.36 lakh people were provided employment through MSMEs.

“We have identified around 8,926 acres of land in 96 constituencies for setting up MSME clusters and administrative sanctions were given to MSME clusters in 31 constituencies, which will be inaugurated in a month,” he said.

The Chief Secretary said the government is contemplating segregation of agriculture feeders at an approximate cost of Rs 4,000 crores for the promotion of micro and cottage industries to create employment in rural areas and is seeking financial support from the Central government and various financial institutions.

“Energy Minister K Kala Venkata Rao has already made a request to the Centre for sanction of funds for feeder segregation in rural areas under Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana,” said Ajay Jain, Principal Secretary (Energy).

The minister also suggested ensuring that the works are completed by October, he added.

According to him, APIIC requested the power utilities to sort out issues with respect to the supply of power to APIIC industrial clusters, including setting up of 33/11 KV and 220 KV substations, 11 KV feeder and additional 11 KV lines and resolve the issue of low hanging LT lines and extension of power supply to new MSMEs.

“DISCOMs should award works immediately wherever necessary without waiting for the payments from APIIC and in turn, APIIC should hand over the land to the utilities in advance for setting up substations and feeders,” said Jain.