Minister for Industries and Commerce Mekapati Goutham Reddy, Special Chief Secretary R. Karikal Valaven and Director of Industries J.V.N. Subramanyam met Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy at his camp office on Monday and apprised him of the No.1 position in Ease-of-Doing Business (EoDB) 2019 rankings secured by Andhra Pradesh amid stiff competition from other progressive States.

Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy complimented the Minister and his team of officials for getting the distinction against heavy odds and expressed confidence that the State would continue to be a role model for others.

Speaking to the media, Mr. Goutham Reddy said unlike in the past, a comprehensive survey of the EoDB parameters was done in 2019, and took pride in the fact that AP emerged as the clear winner in the race, whereas it had shared the No.1 rank with others previously.

He said the necessary steps were being taken to consolidate the leadership position. The Industries & Commerce and other departments were drawing up a strategy for building on the strengths which each district possesses to realise their potential.

Mr. Goutham Reddy said AP excelled in 187 reform action points and 12 reform areas.

These areas were: access to information and transparency, single window system, land administration and transfer, land availability and allotment, environment registration enablers, construction permit and labour regulation enablers, obtaining utility permits, paying taxes, inspection enablers, contract enforcement (courts) and sector-specific measures.

AP was the first State which implemented district-level business reform action plan, he said.

Reacts to TDP claim

Commenting on the TDP government's claim to have garnered investments amounting to approximately ₹32 lakh crore, Mr. Goutham Reddy said: “it is nothing but a publicity blitzkrieg as a sum of not more than ₹50,000 crore has actually been invested. As far as the KIA Motors' manufacturing plant is concerned, it came at a heavy price to the State as the present dispensation is obliged to pay out subsidies over the next 20 years.”