Hindupur, July 7: The minister for tourism and major industries, Ms J. Geeta Reddy, claimed that the state is progressing on industrial front in a never before manner under the leadership of the Chief Minister, Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy. "I can declare that it was a golden time for the industries in the Congress regime. Already the state stood in the second place in the entire country in industrial development and in no time it would reach the top slot." The minister conducted a review meeting on the situation of industries at Toomukunta industrial estate near Hindupur of Anantapur district. Later addressing the newsmen, she said, "The industrial sector in the state turned weak during the nine-year Telugu Desam regime led by Mr N. Chandrababu Naidu. When the industrial development is almost on the wane, the Congress government took the reins. Dr Reddy gave life to the industries which are in dire straits. There is no need for us to boast about the development of industries in the state. The Reserve Bank of India conducted a survey and the report clearly stated that the Andhra Pradesh is in the second place in industrial development after Gujarat." She further said that the rebates, discounts and other infrastructure facilities provided by the state government are encouraging the entrepreneurs to set up more and more industries in the State. It was due to the efforts made by Dr Reddy, the petro-chemical reinvestment was achieved in the state. This would help in achieving over Rs 3 lakh crore investments in the near future. This would help at least 20 lakh unemployed to get job opportunities. Already the state had achieved Rs 25,000 crore investments, she added. The Telugu Desam had only concentrated on the IT and hi-tech companies and ignored the manufacturing sector. This had deprived employment for many youth, who did not possess higher educational qualifications. Keeping the welfare of these youth in view, Dr Reddy concentrated on manufacturing sector and helping the youth in getting employment. Ms Geeta Reddy said that efforts are on to provide employment to over 25 lakh youth through the setting up of special economic zones across the state. Over 51,000 were given vigorous training in various sectors and ensured employment to all of them. Refuting the allegations made by the opposition parties on the allocation of lands to SEZs, she said that the government had acquired only 17,000 acres when the state has three crore acres of agricultural land. Over the allocation of land for Bramhani Steels in Kadapa district, she said that the government allocated land which had big boulders and stones which is not at all useful in any way to the people. In return, the company had agreed to allocate jobs to over 10,000 youth of the region. She further recalled that the successive governments had spent Rs 100 crore for the past 30 years for the industrial development in the state, while the Congress government had spent Rs 300 crores in just four years to put the state on the industrial map of India.