Andhra to set up board for industrial development

Andhra Pradesh will set an Economic Development Board (EDB) to oversee industrial clearances and for development of various sectors.

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu Tuesday directed officials to set up the board, which will give industrial clearances through a single desk.

Presiding over a meeting of the State Investment Promotion Board (SIPB) and the industries department, Naidu asked them to give faster clearances for land, offer tax incentives and other benefits to industries.

He suggested officials to also set up an Escort Executive Committee that will supervise, monitor and track the progress of environmental clearances of industries, said an official statement.

The chief minister also directed the SIPB to come up with a sector-wise as well as a comprehensive industrial policy to boost investments in the state and build an investor-friendly ecosystem.

He also asked officials to grant approvals to cement industries like Ramco, Prism, JSW and other industries in Kurnool and to give clearances and tax incentives to major industries like Asian Paints, Gujarat Ambuja Export Ltd., Universal Coke & Power Ltd and Shahi Exports and others.

Naidu asked officials to implement the decisions taken during his visits to Japan and Singapore. These include setting up Japan Desk and also working on introducing Japanese language in the state's universities.

The chief minister laid out a plan to develop a four-lane road along the coast between Visakhapatnam and Kakinada. He said that a canal linking Godavari River be created alongside this four-lane road in order to channelize the water to Visakhapatnam.