Amaravati, March 11 (NationPress) In a significant move, Andhra Pradesh's Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu, on Wednesday, proposed the establishment of the Indian School of Agriculture, modeled after the Indian School of Business (ISB), to address various challenges within the agricultural sector.

This proposal was made during his keynote speech at the two-day Collectors' conference that commenced on Wednesday.

He suggested that the Indian School of Agriculture be designated as a deemed university to tackle agricultural challenges and provide AI-driven agritech services aimed at assisting farmers.

The ISB was founded in Hyderabad in 2001 when Naidu was the Chief Minister of unified Andhra Pradesh.

During his address, he urged district collectors to prioritize farmers' welfare and extend special attention to their needs.

Additionally, he announced the release of water for the Kharif season on May 15 and a housewarming initiative involving 2.5 lakh homes as a Ugadi celebration gift.

Highlighting the importance of water security, he instructed the collectors to implement a 90-day water conservation program starting April 1, which includes desilting efforts at all water bodies.

Naidu noted a rise in groundwater levels across the state, now at 8.10 meters, and mentioned that there are 614 tmc of water available in the state's reservoirs.

Thanks to the increased groundwater levels, the state government can save approximately Rs 14,000 crore in power subsidies. He assured that the Veligonda project will be finalized by July, with the Polavaram project expected to be completed by 2027.

Moreover, he announced a new initiative allowing free bus travel for the physically challenged, named Indra Dhanassu.

Naidu expressed a vision for Andhra Pradesh to become a land dispute-free state by 2027. As part of this initiative, a special program is planned on the 9th of each month in every district. He stated that land records will be made available online, employing blockchain technology and QR codes for pattadar passbooks to enhance security.

On the one family-one entrepreneur policy, the Chief Minister revealed that 1.12 lakh women have become micro-entrepreneurs, with aspirations to expand this to 5 lakh.

He reiterated that there would be no compromise on law and order, instructing district collectors to take strict actions against violators.

Referencing recent incidents such as diarrhoea cases in Srikakulam, deaths from adulterated milk in Rajahmundry, and an accident at a firecracker unit in Vetlapalem, Naidu emphasized the need for rule enforcement and directed collectors to conduct field visits eight days a month. Secretaries are also mandated to spend four days monthly in the field to assess the situation.

The Chief Minister underscored the necessity of ensuring that every household receives a drinking water tap within two years and that every home should have internet access through a fiber grid within three years. He encouraged collectors to leverage technology and adopt AI to achieve superior results.

He also stressed the importance of enhancing digital literacy among citizens for efficient use of WhatsApp governance, urging collectors to prioritize the grounding of various projects in their respective districts.