Babu pushes data-driven governance

metro india news  I Amaravathi

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday directed the government machinery to adopt a data-driven governance model that delivers real-time results, announcing that the state will now release Monthly Economic Reports (MERs) to closely monitor growth, revenue generation and administrative performance. Chairing a high-level meeting with ministers, secretaries and heads of departments at the Secretariat, the Chief Minister said the reports would serve as the foundation for evidence-based policymaking and faster governance.

Calling data-driven governance the future of administration, Chandrababu said Andhra Pradesh is the first state in the country to institutionalise monthly economic reporting as a governance tool. He instructed every department to align its functioning with the findings of the monthly reports, enabling continuous monitoring of economic indicators, revenue mobilisation and departmental performance.

Reviewing the government’s performance over the past two years, the Chief Minister said the coalition administration had worked collectively to restore governance after what he described as institutional decline during 2019-24. He added that the state was leveraging its mineral wealth, including rare earth minerals, silica, granite and bauxite, through value-addition strategies to accelerate industrial growth across Rayalaseema, North Andhra and Coastal Andhra.

Chandrababu laid strong emphasis on grievance redressal, directing all departments to work towards zero pendency under the Public Grievance Redressal System (PGRS). He said land disputes remained a major source of public complaints and highlighted ongoing initiatives such as re-surveys and monthly distribution of digitally authenticated pattadar passbooks, noting that another 72 lakh passbooks are yet to be issued.

The Chief Minister urged senior officials to spend more time in the field instead of remaining confined to offices, stating that effective governance requires first-hand understanding of people’s problems. He also stressed the use of Artificial Intelligence tools to improve governance and revenue collection, revealing that government revenues had increased by 24% this year while the state’s Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) recorded a 20% increase compared to 2017 levels.

The Chief Minister directed officials to create awareness among farmers about the possible impact of El Nino and stressed proactive governance to prevent problems before they arise.