VIJAYAWADA: In a key decision to take the chief minister Chandrababu Naidu’s brainchild P-4 initiative ahead, the state govt appointed a young official from excise and prohibition department, Dr Ch Naresh as chief executive officer (CEO) of Smart Andhra Pradesh Foundation (SAPF). Chief minister Chandrababu Naidu himself picked up Naresh from among several dozens of applicants after intense scrutiny by the senior officials. Dr Naresh, an excise and prohibition superintendent rank officer in the excise department, worked in National Health Mission (NHM) in deputation and initiated several pro-poor schemes. The CEO of SAPF will be chiefly responsible in coordinating with the top industrialists and philanthropists in execution of the P4 initiative designed to alleviate poverty in the state. The chief minister has appealed to the industrialists and NRIs to adopt at least four below the poverty line (BPL) families from their native places in the state and handhold them to sustain their finances. In fact, chief minister Naidu is personally speaking with the top industrialists and contractors coming to the state to bring the programme into reality. Already, several top industrialists have expressed their willingness to join hands with the state govt in strengthening the hands of the chief minister in alleviating poverty. The SAPF would also ready plans to develop smart village, smart wards/divisions in the towns and cities before turning the entire state into Smart Andhra Pradesh. Chief minister Chandrababu Naidu, deputy chief minister Pawan Kalyan and a few senior officials including principal finance secretary Peeyush Kumar would be the members of the prestigious SAPF. Former vice-chairman of AP Planning Commission Turlapati Kutumba Rao will act as vice-chairman of the foundation. “Smart Andhra Pradesh Foundation (SAPF) has been set up to help achieve the goal of transforming the lives of people through double-digit growth along with inclusive development. The foundation will play a strategic and catalytic role in realizing the vision of the chief minister Chandrababu Naidu. We will work closely with the policy makers at state and national level, key stakeholders including private sector and civil society for implementing innovative social and economic development initiatives for sustainable development of the state,” said Dr Naresh.
