Vijayawada, July 11 (IANS) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu called on Governor S. Abdul Nazeer at Raj Bhavan on Friday.

The Raj Bhavan termed it as a courtesy call.

The Chief Minister briefed the Governor on various development programmes being implemented by the government, the Raj Bhavan said.

The meeting assumes significance as it comes ahead of CM Chandrababu Naidu’s visit to New Delhi.

The Chief Minister’s meeting with the Governor came amid reports of an imminent expansion in the State Cabinet.

Actor-turned-politician Nagendra Rao Konidela, also known as Naga Babu, who is brother of Deputy Chief Minister and Jana Sena Chief Pawan Kalyan, is likely to be inducted in the Cabinet soon.

In March, Naga Babu was elected unopposed as Member of Legislative Council (MLC).

He was elected as the candidate of Jana Sena, which is led by his younger brother Pawan Kalyan.

Chief Minister Naidu had announced in December last year that Naga Babu would be inducted into the Cabinet.

Naga Babu is the General Secretary of Jana Sena. He actively campaigned in the last year’s elections.

He has been working with Pawan Kalyan ever since he floated the Jana Sena in 2014.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Naidu emphasised that Andhra Pradesh should become a role model for the country in GST collections.

He instructed officials to take strict measures to prevent tax evasion.

At a coordination meeting of Central and State GST officials, he stressed the use of technologies like data analytics to prevent tax evasion.

He said that efficient tax collection would contribute to national wealth, which should be used for public welfare and development.

He added that proper coordination between Central and State GST officials is necessary for better GST realisation.

According to an official statement, the Chief Minister added that there should be a competitive action plan to match neighbouring states in GST collections.

He said that tax data should be analysed using data analytics, and even factors like electricity consumption should be considered to detect evasion.

Chief Minister Naidu directed GST officials to ensure there is no scope for tax fraud in Andhra Pradesh.

–IANS

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