Amaravati/Mahabalipuram, Aug. 20: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has proposed a high-speed rail corridor connecting Amaravati, Bengaluru and Chennai, with a bullet train route passing through Kuppam, during the Southern Zonal Council meeting held in Mahabalipuram on Thursday.
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The proposal was made at the meeting chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, where Naidu called for stronger cooperation among southern states on infrastructure, connectivity, water resources, energy and economic development.
Push for Integrated Transport Network
Naidu proposed creating a common logistics network and developing dry ports across southern states to strengthen trade and improve the movement of goods.
He also called for greater integration of the southern power grid with the national grid to improve energy coordination and reliability.
In the education and employment sector, the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister suggested establishing a joint consortium involving universities and skilling institutions from southern states.
He also proposed a Mutual Aid Force to improve coordination among states during natural disasters and other emergencies.
Godavari-Cauvery Link Highlighted
Water sharing emerged as another major issue during Naidu's address. He advocated the diversion of more than 500 TMC of water through the proposed Godavari-Cauvery river-linking project.
Naidu said the project could provide a long-term solution to Tamil Nadu's water requirements and called for coordinated efforts involving Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu to address interstate river-water disputes.
He further sought a long-term national plan for Ganga-Cauvery river linking, along with time-bound preparation of detailed project reports and approvals for river-linking initiatives.
Southern States Can Drive $10 Trillion Economy
Naidu said southern states account for around 31 per cent of India's GDP and argued that the region could collectively contribute towards building a $10 trillion southern economy by 2047.
He urged the states to work together to strengthen the region's role in India's broader development and the vision of Viksit Bharat.
The Chief Minister also proposed a common spiritual tourism circuit connecting Tirupati with Kashi, Ayodhya and the Char Dham destinations.
AP Reorganisation Issues Raised
Naidu urged the Centre to resolve pending issues arising from the bifurcation of undivided Andhra Pradesh.
He pointed out that matters concerning institutions listed under Schedules IX and X of the AP Reorganisation Act remain unresolved even after 12 years. He also sought resolution of the state's resource deficit and issues related to Section 56 of the Reorganisation Act.
Infrastructure Projects Seek Centre's Support
Highlighting ongoing development in Andhra Pradesh, Naidu said projects such as Polavaram, the South Coast Railway Zone and Amaravati are progressing with support from the Centre.
He also sought faster approvals for Dugarajapatnam Port and refinery proposals, besides central approval for the Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada Metro Rail projects and the Kadapa-JSW railway link.
Naidu stressed that greater Centre-state trust and cooperation would be essential to resolve outstanding issues and accelerate development across southern India.
The meeting was attended by the Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Puducherry, besides the Deputy Chief Minister of Telangana.
