Japan Government's Responsibility to Build Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister

ViIJAYAWADA May 23: It is the Japan government's "responsibility" to build Amaravati, the new capital of the south Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, and make it next to Tokyo, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has said.

"Your (Japan's) Maki and Associates is designing our capital buildings. So it is Japan government's responsibility to build Amaravati. It should be next to Tokyo," Chandrababu remarked, inaugurating a two-day Andhra Pradesh-Japan Public-Private joint conference here on Monday.

Chandrababu asked Japanese companies to make Amaravati "your second home" and invest in different sectors in the new capital as well as other parts of the "sunrise state".

"In the near future, we should have a direct flight between Amaravati and Tokyo. You should help in this regard," he told the visiting Japanese Minister for Economy, Trade and Industry Yosuke Takagi, whom he termed a "well wisher and family member of AP".

Pointing out that 15 Japanese companies were currently doing business in AP, the Chief Minister wanted the number to increase ten-fold to 150 in a year.

"AP is an innovative state. People here are creative. We are strong in knowledge economy. There are abundant opportunities for setting up agri-based and mineral-based industries," he added.

The Japanese minister said they were keen to improve relationship with AP in sectors like infrastructure, technology, agriculture, automobiles and defence.

A joint committee has been constituted to further enhance business interests between AP and Japan, he added.

About 80 delegates from Japanese majors like Mitsubishi, Mitsui, Fuji, Nippon, Toyota, NEC, Toshiba, Sumitomo besides representatives of Japan External Trade Organisation are attending the event, organised by the Andhra Pradesh Economic Development Board.

Principal Secretary (Infrastructure, Investment and CRDA) Ajay Jain made a presentation to the Japanese delegation on the investment opportunities in Amaravati capital region.

PTI