By: Amit kumaR Agarwal
Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Amit Shah, attended the 20th Raising Day ceremony of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) as the Chief Guest in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh. During the event, Amit Shah inaugurated many projects and laid the foundation stones for other projects worth approximately Rs 220 crore. These include National South Campus of 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.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu together with several dignitaries was present on the occasion. The dignitaries included, Union Minister of Civil Aviation K. Rammohan Naidu, Union Minister of State for Home Bandi Sanjay Kumar, Home Secretary Govind Mohan, and NDRF Director General Piyush Anand.
In his address, Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Amit Shah, said that when natural calamities strike, NDRF comes to the rescue, and when man-made calamities occur, the Narendra Modi government comes to the help. Shah said that in the five years from 2019 to 2024 Andhra Pradesh has faced significant setbacks due to the man-made disaster, affecting the immense potential of the state. He said that to make up for the developmental losses during the period, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu are driving Andhra Pradesh’s growth at three times the speed.
Amit Shah praised Chandrababu 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 Andhra Pradesh in 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 Shri Chandrababu Naidu and inaugurated with a groundbreaking ceremony (Bhoomi Pujan) by Prime Minister Modi. However, he criticized the previous government for neglecting this ambitious project.
Amit Shah said 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 highlighted that the foundation stone for the new railway zone has been laid, and water from Polavaram, considered the lifeline of Andhra Pradesh, will reach every corner of the state by 2028.
Shah also mentioned the commencement of the AIIMS hospital project at a cost of Rs. 1,600 crore and shared plans to invest Rs. 2 lakh Crore to make Visakhapatnam a hub for green hydrogen. Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah noted that in the last six months, highway and infrastructure projects worth approximately Rs. 1.2 lakh crore have been approved for Andhra Pradesh. Shah affirmed that the Central Government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, stands firmly with Chandrababu Naidu to ensure the rapid development of Andhra Pradesh.