Amaravati, Dec 10 (NationPress) The Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, N. Chandrababu Naidu, instructed officials on Wednesday to engage in discussions with multiple banks and financial institutions to lower the interest rates on loans. In a conference attended by ministers, secretaries, and department heads, he emphasized the importance of taking action to conserve public funds by reducing interest rates, which could lead to savings of Rs 7000 crore on overall loans.

He criticized the previous government's impact on the AP brand image, claiming that it led to increased interest rates from various financial institutions, resulting in significant wastage of public resources.

Naidu highlighted that the NDA government managed to save Rs 512 crore last year and has saved Rs 1,000 crore so far this year through loan rescheduling and negotiations with banks and financial entities.

Expressing concern about the unspent Rs 1170 crore of Central government funds by various departments, the Chief Minister urged that these funds must be utilized by December 20 and the necessary utilization certificates submitted to the Central government for further fund releases.

He called upon ministers to actively participate in utilizing Central funds for developmental projects. Furthermore, he proposed that all departments should come under audit scrutiny by March 2026 and urged ministers to expedite file clearances.

Naidu indicated that he would review departmental performances every three months and stressed the need for immediate action on issues concerning farmers, crop prices, infrastructure, job creation, drinking water, and the rising prices of essential goods.

The Chief Minister questioned the reluctance to amend business rules to facilitate quicker file clearances, citing that even the constitution has been revised multiple times for the public's benefit.

He urged officials to leverage technology to enhance public service delivery and emphasized that adopting a humanitarian approach is crucial for achieving public satisfaction.

Regarding electricity tariffs, Naidu confirmed that the NDA government will not raise power rates this year and is actively working to reduce the power purchase price from Rs 4.92 to Rs 4 per unit.

He noted the government's success in restoring the brand image of Andhra Pradesh and attracting substantial investments, citing the successful CII partnership summit held in Visakhapatnam as a prime example.

Naidu stated that the state government achieved a growth rate of 12.02% in the first quarter and 11.28% in the second quarter of 2025-26, setting an ambitious target of 17.11%. He reaffirmed the government's commitment to the irrigation sector, with 944 tmc of water stored across various projects.

He reiterated the state government's dedication to the comprehensive development of all regions, highlighting that Andhra Pradesh ranks first in the country with a total of 638 industrial parks. Three economic zones are set to be developed, including Visakhapatnam with North Andhra and East Godavari districts, Amaravati with West Godavari, Krishna, Guntur, and Prakasam districts, and Tirupati with Nellore and Kurnool districts.

Lastly, the Chief Minister announced that all government services would be available online by January 15 and directed lagging departments to enhance their service delivery.