The Hindu : CM favours more joint ventures with Malaysia in construction

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Mar 22, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh

CM favours more joint ventures with Malaysia in construction

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, March 21. The Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu, has underlined the scope for more joint ventures with Malaysia in the construction sector and requested the Malaysian Government to explore the possibility of converting the weekly Hyderabad-Kuala Lumpur flight into a daily service.

Inaugurating the first international construction industry conference being held here under the aegis of the National Academy of Construction (MAC), Mr. Naidu said the expertise of Malaysia in the construction sector could be put to optimum use in building infrastructure in AP.

The Malaysian Minister for Works, Dato' Seri S. Samy Vellu, who was the guest of honour at the inaugural function, was all praise for the initiatives taken by the Chief Minister for infrastructure development in AP and promised to share the expertise of his country based on sustained partnerships.

The Chief Minister said Malaysia was participating in a number of projects in AP including the establishment of the international airport at Shamshabad near the city, which received all clearances and would be ready by 2005.

Mr. Chandrababu Naidu said the global slowdown in the economy was now an accepted reality. But the construction industry, agriculture and service sector had the potential to trigger the economic recovery. The targetted growth rate in the construction industry at 15 per cent was much higher than in any other field. Even a one per cent growth would mean a turnover of Rs 2500 crores per annum. Investments in the construction sector grew from Rs 85,000 crores in 1975 to Rs 2,50,000 crores by 2000 and as many as 31 million people were employed by the industry, he noted.

The Chief Minister underlined the role of the newly set up NAC to improve the efficiency of the construction sector. It could attain the competitive edge, so essential in the WTO regime. He promised all assistance from his Government in implementing the recommendations of the international meet.

Mr. Naidu said 80 per cent of contractors were from AP which also boasted of a large workforce, though unskilled. The NAC, set up to update the construction technology and improve productivity by the sector, would be upgraded into a deemed university, he promised.

The Chief Minister said the IJM of Malaysia was participating in a couple of road development projects in AP. "The Malaysian Minister is a shrewd businessmen. I desire he visit Andhra Pradesh more fequently and by his next visit he should see that daily flights are introduced between Hyderabad and Malaysia,'' Mr.Naidu said.

Mr. Samy Vellu said Andhra Pradesh was developing rapidly in the infrastructure sector thanks to the vision of Mr. Naidu. But the construction sector both in Malaysia and India accounted for lowest productivity compared to the developed nations. There was a need to increase the productivity by adopting new methodologies and technology.

He stressed the need for raising the relationship between Malaysia and AP to a new high.

NAC Director General R.C.Sinha, welcoming the gathering, outlined the objectives of the academy. NAC's vice chairman A. Ramakrishna explained the functions of the seven institutes coming up on the NAC campus.

The first phase of NAC including the main building on the 167-acre campus was completed four months ahead of schedule. The Chief Minister felicitated the architects and contractors of the the NAC complex. Director General of NICMAR (National Institute of Construction Management and Research K.N. Vaid spoke.

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