Amaravati, Feb 9 : Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Monday made it clear that there will be no power tariff hike and that the benefits of true-down charges will be passed on directly to consumers.â??

Addressing the ministers and secretaries conference at the Secretariat, the Chief Minister said power generation should be carried out with the concept of net-zero elimination. He directed officials to ensure that true-down charges are transferred directly to consumers.â??

He called for speeding up solar rooftop projects, wind and pumped storage power generation. He said the state, which earlier faced a power shortage, is now moving forward.â??

towards the power surplus stage. Efforts are on to reduce the power purchase price to Rs 3.90, he said.â??

The Chief Minister directed the officials to constantly monitor opportunities to ensure marketing support and better prices for agricultural produce. Greater focus should be on crops with global markets. â??To develop Rayalaseema as a horticulture hub, we should focus not only on Central government funds but also on private investments,â?? he said.â??

CM Chandrababu Naidu noted that Rayalaseema alone is currently producing 22 million tonnes of horticulture produce, and a target of 40 million tonnes has been set.

â??He said a four-lane railway line from Ichchapuram to Nellore is under construction, and the high-speed train project will also materialise soon.â??

He said at least 1,000 buses in the Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) should be converted to EVs.â??

Citing an example of administrative delays, he said that to set up a small rice mill, more than 30 permissions are required, and this must change. On one hand, we talk about the speed of doing business, and on the other, such hurdles still exist. Rules must be simplified in key departments such as Fire Services, Municipal Administration, Forest, School Education and others, he said.â??

He asked officials to ensure that government services are accessible through WhatsApp. Good governance means people should be able to complete their work without repeatedly visiting government offices, he said.â??

He said that complaints are still being received that officials in NTR and Krishna districts are creating hurdles in the supply of sand and gravel required for the capital city, and directed the officials to ensure uninterrupted material supply so that construction in the capital region faces no obstacles.â??

/IANS