US delegation calls on Telangana, Andhra CMs

Hyderabad, July 18 (IANS) A US delegation led by Assistant Secretary for Global Markets Arun M. Kumar Friday met chief ministers of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao told the visiting delegation that the newly-created state will be the best state for investment.

Arun Kumar, who is director general of the US and Foreign Commercial Service was accompanied by John M. McCaslin, minister counsellor for commercial affairs, US Commercial Service and Michael Mullins, US consul general in Hyderabad and others.

According to an official statement, the chief minister said that about three lakh acres of land will be made available to prospective industrialists in Telangana and that the government will provide excellent infrastructure facility.

Rao said that a chasing cell will be created in his office for clearances to the proposals of industrialists within two weeks.

The US delegation mentioned that they are interested in aviation and defence sectors.

Mullins told the chief minister that they will shortly construct a consulate building in Hyderabad. Rao suggested that it should be number one among consulate offices in India and assured all necessary permissions immediately.

The delegation also met Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu. They discussed cooperation for taking up infrastructure projects and agreed to set up a joint task force for their implementation.

According to a statement from the chief minister's office, the two sides agreed on mutual exchange of information and technical knowhow between trade and commerce bodies.

This will help in fast paced development of Andhra Pradesh and expedite provision of infrastructure along Visakhapatnam-Chennai and Bangalore-Chennai industrial corridors.