Surpasses developed ones like Maharashtra, Gujarat with ‘focused approach’

Andhra Pradesh has achieved the number one rank in the country with an average growth of 10.5% during the last four years.

It has surpassed many developed States such as Maharashtra and Gujarat following a “focused approach” and setting high targets for itself.

According to the State Planning Department, the average growth in the country stood at 7.3% during the last four years. Probably, Andhra Pradesh is the only State to clock the double-digit growth rate.

While Telangana has slipped to the second place, Maharashtra is ranked sixth. Punjab is placed 14th and Karnataka third.

The growth in Andhra Pradesh was 9.2% in 2014-15, the year of bifurcation. Later, it was ranked second. In the subsequent year, it achieved a double-digit growth of 10.6% though its rank had slipped to the 4th place.

Since then, the State has been achieving double-digit growth rates.

Gujarat, which is considered the most developed State, registered a growth of 10.5% in 2014-15. But it slipped to 10.1 in 2016-17. Telangana, which registered 6.8% growth in 2014-15 could achieve 10.4% in 2017-18, officials said.

The Per Capita Income (PCI) also increased by more than Rs. 40,000 during 2017-18 in the State, which started its journey with “the lowest PCI of Rs. 93,903” in the southern States.

The PCI crossed the Rs. 1 lakh mark in 2015-16. The trend has been upward since then. The PCI grew to Rs. 1,08,163 in 2015-16 and to Rs. 1,23,664 in 2016-17 and Rs. 1,42,054 in 2017-18.

Planning Secretary Sanjay Gupta said Andhra Pradesh, with a population of 4.96 crore (as per 2011 census), was placed 9th in the country with a PCI of Rs. 1.24 lakh in 2016-17 against Rs. 1.07 lakh in 2015-16.

Compared with the all-India PCI of Rs. 1.13 lakh in 2017-18, there is a quantum jump in the State’s PCI in 2017-18 and 2015-16.

The All India PCI was Rs. 1.04 lakh in 2016-17 and Rs. 95,000 in 2015-16. The PCI of Haryana, Maharahstra, Kerala, Karnataka, Telangana, and Gujarat was high as they touched or crossed the Rs. 1.81 lakh mark. But the increase was not on a par with that of A.P., he said.

Mr. Gupta said agriculture and allied sectors, industry and services registered a growth higher than the national average. While A.P. registered 11% growth during the last four years, it was only 2.4% at the national level.