Vijayawada: Union Home Minister Amit Shah has said that to make up for the developmental losses during the previous Government period, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu are driving Andhra Pradesh’s growth at three times the speed
The Union Home Minister attended the 20th Raising Day ceremony of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) Kondapavuluru village near here on Sunday. Amit Shah inaugurated many projects and laid the foundation stones for other projects worth approximately Rs 220 crore. These include the National South Campus of the Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM), the 10th Battalion of the NDRF, and the Regional Response Centre at Supaul Campus.
The Home Minister also laid the foundation stone of the new ‘Integrated Shooting Range’ at the National Police Academy in Hyderabad and inaugurated the Regional Forensic Science Laboratory building in Tirupati.
Speaking on the occasion, the Union Home Minister recalled that in the 5 years from 2014 to 2019 Andhra Pradesh faced significant setbacks due to the man-made disaster, affecting the immense potential of the state.
Amit Shah praised Naidu for propelling the state forward through sound administrative, financial, and developmental strategies while noting that Prime Minister Modi has facilitated investments and aid exceeding Rs 3 lakh Crore for A P in the past six months.
Shah highlighted the recent Union Cabinet approval of Rs. 11,000 Crore for the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, a move aimed at securing the plant’s long-term viability and preserving its status as a symbol of pride for Andhra Pradesh. He also recalled the vision of Amaravati as the state capital, conceptualized by Naidu and inaugurated with a groundbreaking ceremony (Bhoomi Pujan) by Prime Minister Modi. However, the Home Minister criticized the previous government for neglecting this ambitious project.
The Home Minister observed that in the past six months, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has accelerated efforts to realize Chandrababu Naidu’s vision of Amaravati as the state capital by allocating Rs 27,000 Crore for the Amaravati project through HUDCO and the World Bank.
He also highlighted that the foundation stone for the new railway zone has been laid, and water from Polavaram, considered the lifeline of A P, would reach every corner of the state by 2028. Shah also mentioned the commencement of the AIIMS hospital project for Rs. 1,600 crore and shared plans to invest Rs 2 lakh Crore to make Visakhapatnam a hub for green hydrogen.
He noted that in the last six months, highway and infrastructure projects worth approximately Rs. 1.2 lakh crore have been approved for A P and affirmed that the Central Government stands firmly with Chandrababu Naidu to ensure the rapid development of A P.
Amit Shah acknowledged that the Centre’s commitment to disaster management is evident from the fact that the 12th Finance Commission allocated Rs 12,500 crores for disaster management, which was increased to Rs 61,000 crores in the 14th Finance Commission. Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister K Pawan Kalyan also spoke.
UNI
