PM Modi to attend Naidu's swearing-in on June 12

Hyderabad: Union Minister for Coal and Mines, G Kishan Reddy, said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be attending the swearing-in ceremony of TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu as the new Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh on June 12.

Addressing the media in the national capital on Monday, Kishan Reddy thanked PM Modi for allocating several key portfolios to the MPs from Telugu States and said that efforts would be made for both the Telugu States to pick up the pace in development and compete with other States in the country.

Kishan Reddy said that while Karimnagar MP Bandi Sanjay Kumar was allocated Minister of State for Home Affairs, Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, elected as MP from Srikakulam in Andhra Pradesh, will be the Union Minister for Civil Aviation. Similarly, Dr Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar, MP from Guntur, has been allocated as the Minister of State for Rural Development and Communications, and Srinivas Verma, another MP from Narasapuram, Andhra Pradesh has been allocated as the as the Minister of State for Heavy Industries and Steel.

He said that the allocation of Civil Rammohan Naidu civil aviation would help in the comprehensive development of airport infrastructure in Vijayawada, Rajamahendravaram, Kadapa, Puttaparthi, and Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh. Also, he would take up the issue with the State government of Telangana for the early development of Warangal Airport, which was neglected during former chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao's tenure. Similarly, efforts would be made to coordinate with other ministries for the Regional Ring Roads, national highways, research institutions, and others in the Telugu States.

Upon being allocated two key ministries of coal and ministers, Kishan Reddy expressed confidence in handling the portfolios efficiently under the guidance of PM Modi. He said the first priority in assuming charge is to review with the officials of coal and mines on chalking out a 100-day agenda action plan.

He said that both coal and mines are playing key roles in ensuring energy security and revenue to the government. Besides, the government entities, there are also private companies conducting mining and supply of coal by obtaining licenses through auctions. The scam-hit coal and mining auctions during the UPA regime changed after Modi came to power by putting in place comprehensive and transparent policies for the auction, mining, and supply of coal. He said that the country is also importing coal from abroad.

He will review the availability of coal stocks in the country, production, and supply in line with the growing demand for coal and the increasing energy demands of the domestic, commercial, industry, and agriculture sectors. Comprehensive, coordinated, and transparent policies are needed to coordinate public and private sector coal mining and production to meet the energy needs of the country and galvanise its development goals, he added.

That apart, Kishan Reddy said that there is a need to oversee the welfare of the lakhs of people working in the coal and mining industry.

Kishan Reddy said that other than sand, there are other minerals over which the State governments have authority. The mining of minerals is a revenue-generating sector for the State and Central governments, which was earlier efficiently handled by former Union Coal and Mines Minister Prahlad Joshi, he said.