Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman, laying the foundation stone for the National Academy of Customs, Indirect Taxes & Narcotics (NACIN) at Palasamudram in the district on Saturday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was like a fatherly figure for Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy and has been ensuring that everything essential for Andhra Pradesh is given.
After the Mussoorie Institute for IAS officers and the Hyderabad Institute for IPS officers, NACIN will be the national-level world-class training institute for IRS officers from September 2023. “We have released ₹729 crore for the first phase of the construction of the new campus in Anantapur district as per the promises made in the 2014 July Union budgetary allocations and I will ensure it gets all resources to be fully functional from all aspects by September 2024,” Ms. Sitharaman said speaking in Telugu and replying to Andhra Pradesh Finance Minister Buggana Rajendranath Reddys to develop the backward Anantapur district.
During the Bhumi Puja and the foundation stone plaque unveiling at the site, R&B Minister M. Shankaranarayana and Hindupur MP Gorantla Madhav were also present.
The construction of the campus will be finished by September 2023 and capacity building for the IRS officers and Customs officers from all the States, and other friendly countries would be taken up. The land acquisition process got delayed by four to five years, which led to the delay in beginning the work, she said.
Ms. Sitharaman praised Union Revenue Secretary Tarun Bajaj and Vivek Johri, Chairman of the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), for taking special interest and ensuring that NACIN comes up. She asked them to continue the same interest and ensure training begins here from 2023 and that it is completed in all aspects by September 2024.
“We need to consciously develop the district as the Prime Minister is keen on completing the project before his term ends and I will speak about it when I visit Visakhapatnam or Vijayawada again, she added.
The Prime Minister gives time to Mr. Buggana, Mr. Vijaya Sai Reddy and Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy to listen to the difficulties in Andhra Pradesh and ensures funds are released for development, Ms. Sitharaman said.
She thanked Collector Nagalakshmi Selvarajan for taking interest and ensuring that land acquisition process was completed.
