Andhra Pradesh gets new infrastructure & investment department

VIJAYAWADA:  With an objective to lay a special focus on attracting investments and improving infrastructure, the State government has issued an order for the creation of a separate department for infrastructure and investment, detaching it from the Industries, Infrastructure, Investment and Commerce Department. As per the order (MS 22) issued by Chief Secretary Nilam Sawhney on Wednesday, Special Chief Secretary R Karikal Valaven has been given full additional charge of the department.

The new department, which will be under the Chief Minister, will have one post of assistant secretary and two sections with staff.

The order follows the government’s decision on December 26, 2019, to separate infrastructure and investment (I and I) from the industries and commerce department. In fact, I and I was an independent department till 2005 and had a separate ministry as well. In December 2014, it was merged with the Energy Department.

In June, 2019, the State government, as per a Cabinet decision, detached it from the Energy department and merged it with the Industries and Commerce department.

Speaking to TNIE, Special Chief Secretary R Karikal Valaven said the decision to have an independent department was taken to give a thrust to infrastructure creation and investment. He noted that special attention was necessary on I and I to augment revenues, which were hit in the aftermath of the State bifurcation.

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