While opposition demands caste census, BJP ally Naidu opts for skill census

NEW DELHI: Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu is starting a skill census in the state and will suggest a similar exercise to PM Narendra Modi to map the skill sets available with the population and develop human capital.
Unlike INDIA bloc states that have been pushing for a caste census, Naidu said the move is meant to expand the PPP into "public, private, people's partnership" to generate better results for citizens.Skilling and creating jobs are seen as a key focus for the Modi govt with some measures expected in the Union Budget.
After a series of meetings in the capital, the TDP chief, a key ally of the BJP-led coalition at the Centre, said that development of Andhra Pradesh was his top priority after the Jagan Mohan Reddy govt left the state in severe financial stress. Naidu intends to highlight the strain and the absence of development, which has seen disruption of the Polavaran irrigation project and his plans to build Amaravati as the new state capital, through a series of five white papers.

Naidu said he will let people decide what is to be done. He is also looking to use his earlier experience to put Andhra back on the development path and rope in investors, both domestic and foreign. Apart from Union ministers, the Andhra CM also met several industry leaders and acknowledged that there were concerns over the political climate in case there was a change of guard in the state. "They are concerned about the devil. We are assuring them that we will control it," Naidu said. He also insisted that his party is not demanding any seats or a common agenda as BJP and the alliance partners have released their own manifestos.
"We did not ask for any ministerial post from the Centre, not even during Vajpayee's time. Whatever was offered, we accepted," he said and recalled accepting Lok Sabha Speaker's post during the Vajpayee era "only to" maintain good relations with the alliance.
"The party's priority is rebuilding Andhra Pradesh, which has suffered irreparable loss in the last five years. Our aim is to rebuild the state in the next five years. The people of Andhra Pradesh have given mandate to NDA. We will work together," he added.
On quotas for minorities, an issue that Modi flagged as a concern during the general elections, Naidu said his party had used economic backwardness, not other considerations, for giving reservation.