Absence of industry minister hits SMEs in Andhra Pradesh
With ever busy Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu handling the key industries portfolio, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Andhra Pradesh are facing challenging times as their problems are not being addressed effectively and on time.
Ever-busy Chief Minister Naidu handling the key portfolio
Hyderabad: With ever busy Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu handling the key industries portfolio, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Andhra Pradesh are facing challenging times as their problems are not being addressed effectively and on time. However, big investors and industrialists have no issues as they have easy access to the Chief Minister and are able to solve their problems without much delay.
“With the Chief Minister himself looking after the industries ministry, accessibility is a major issue there. Sometimes, the State government is taking six months or more to address concerns raised by the small and medium scale companies,” an entrepreneur in the SME space told The Hans India on the condition of anonymity.
Pointing out that big investors would not face many hurdles as they would have easy access to the Chief Minister and his team, the entrepreneur said it was the SMEs which were in the docks. “Incentives have been pending for several months and we don’t know whom to approach. Everyone is aware of the financial difficulties being faced by AP. But there should be someone to whom the SMEs can represent their woes and get the troubling issues addressed,” he observed.
Concurring with his views, an industry representative said doing follow-up on issues brought to the notice of the Andhra Pradesh government was also not easy. “Sometime back, I called on the Chief Minister and brought several problems and issues to his notice. The tricky issue is how to do the follow-up and to know whether the government can address those issues. It’s not easy to meet the Chief Minister every time, given his busy engagements,” he said.
Vennam Anil Reddy, former president, Federation of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FTAPCCI), is also of the view that accessibility is a big issue when it comes to the ministry portfolios handled by a chief minister. “The problem is more acute when a chief minister handles key ministries such as industries and energy that require constant interaction with outsiders. We had similar issues when the Telangana Chief Minister handled energy department,” Reddy told The Hans India.
According to him, there are not many SMEs in Andhra Pradesh today as industrialisation has taken place around Hyderabad before the bifurcation. “The growth of the SME sector is essential for the overall industrial growth of the AP State. SMEs will not only generate large number of jobs, but also churn out more revenues for the State compared to the large units,” he pointed, underlining the need for encouraging the SME sector in AP.
Meanwhile, a big industrialist who played key role in attracting several companies to AP said that the AP Chief Minister was proactive when it came to interacting with investors. “He has a rich experience and knows how to handle investors. We have never faced any problems. We don’t have to meet the CM for every issue. Isn’t it?” he said.
