New Delhi, 20 January 2025: Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri 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, Shri 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.
Several dignitaries were present on the occasion, including Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Shri N. Chandrababu Naidu, Union Minister of Civil Aviation Shri K. Rammohan Naidu, Union Minister of State for Home Shri Bandi Sanjay Kumar, Home Secretary Shri Govind Mohan, and NDRF Director General Shri Piyush Anand.
In his address, Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri 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. Shri Shah said that in the five years from 2014 to 2019 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 Shri Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Shri N. Chandrababu Naidu are driving Andhra Pradesh’s growth at three times the speed. Shri Amit Shah praised Shri 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.
Shri 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.
Shri Amit Shah said that in the past six months, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has accelerated efforts to realize Shri 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.
Shri 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. Shri Shah affirmed that the Central Government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, stands firmly with Shri Chandrababu Naidu to ensure the rapid development of Andhra Pradesh
