New Delhi [India], August 18 : Andhra Pradesh's Minister for Education, Information Technology, and Electronics, Nara Lokesh, met with the National President of the Bharatiya Janata Party and Union Minister for Health, Fertilizers, and Chemicals, J.P. Nadda, on Monday.
The meeting focused on addressing the urgent shortage of urea in the state and exploring various development initiatives.
During the meeting, Minister Lokesh highlighted the severe shortage of urea amid the ongoing Kharif season and requested the Union Government to allocate the required supply to support farmers immediately.
Responding to the request, Union Minister Nadda assured that 29,000 metric tonnes of urea would be allocated to Andhra Pradesh by August 21, effectively addressing the shortage.
Minister Lokesh also proposed the establishment of a Plastic Park to promote local industry and generate employment opportunities for the youth.
On educational infrastructure, Minister Lokesh discussed the establishment of the permanent campus of the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER) in Visakhapatnam, noting that 100 acres of land have been identified for the project and urged necessary actions for its development.
The minister further briefed the Union Minister Nadda on the progress of various development works over the past 14 months under the coalition government and sought central support for pending projects.
He emphasised the need to expedite key initiatives like the Polavaram Project and the development of Amaravati as the state capital, which are critical for the state's growth and infrastructure.
Highlighting the achievements under the "double-engine" governance model, Minister Lokesh said that Andhra Pradesh is progressing rapidly with the combined support of the state and central governments, paving the way for accelerated development and prosperity.
Earlier today, Nara Lokesh met Union External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar to push for stronger diaspora engagement, skills mobility, and responsible migration, positioning Andhra Pradesh as a frontrunner in India's global workforce vision.
During the meeting, Minister Nara Lokesh took the opportunity to apprise the Union Minister about the state delegation's recent visit to Singapore and the discussions held with officials there. The AP IT Minister further apprised him of the possible collaboration opportunities and sought the Centre's support for the same.
He also met Union Minister Hardeep Puri and strongly pitched for the BPCL refinery-cum-petrochemical complex at Ramayapatnam, Nellore district, a long-standing promise under Section 93(4) of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014.