The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone and dedicated to the nation multiple projects worth over Rs. 10,500 crores in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh today.
The Prime Minister began his address by recalling the time when he got the opportunity to visit Andhra Pradesh on the 125th birth anniversary of Viplav Veerudu Alluru Sitaramraju. The Prime Minister remarked that Visakhapatnam is a very special city with an extremely rich tradition of trade and business. He pointed out that Visakhapatnam being an important port in ancient India was part of the trade route to West Asia and Rome thousands of years ago, and it still remains the central point of India’s trade in today’s day and age. The Prime Minister said that the projects worth Rs 10,500 crores that are being dedicated and whose foundation stones are laid today will serve as a medium to achieve the hopes and aspirations of Visakhapatnam and Andhra Pradesh by opening up new dimensions in infrastructure, ease of living and Atmanirbhar Bharat. The Prime Minister also made a special mention of the Ex-Vice President of India, Shri M Venkaiaha Naidu and said that his love and dedication toward Andhra Pradesh remain unparalleled.
Be it education or entrepreneurship, technology or medical profession, the Prime Minister said that the people of Andhra Pradesh have made a prominent name for themselves in every field. He further added that this recognition is not only a result of professional qualities but also the outgoing and jovial nature of the people of Andhra Pradesh. The Prime Minister expressed delight at the projects that are being dedicated and whose foundation stones are laid today and said that it will further the pace of development in the state.
“In this Amrit Kaal”, the Prime Minister said, “the country is moving forward rapidly on the path of development with the objective of a developed India.” Remarking that the path to development is multidimensional, the Prime Minister said that it focuses on the needs and necessities of the common citizen and presents a roadmap for advanced infrastructure. He highlighted the government’s vision of inclusive growth. The Prime Minister lamented the isolated approach to infrastructure development by the previous governments which resulted in higher logistics expenses and created a dent in the supply chain. He informed that the government adopted a new approach to infrastructure development as supply chain and logistics depend on multi-modal connectivity while focussing on an integrated view of development. Giving an example of the integrated view of development from today’s projects, the Prime Minister listed out the 6-lane roads in the proposed economic corridor project, a separate road for port connectivity, the beautification of Visakhapatnam railway station and the construction of the state-of-the-art fishing harbour. The Prime Minister credited this integrated view of development to PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan and remarked that it has not only accelerated the pace of infrastructure construction but has also reduced the cost of projects. “Multi-modal transport system is the future of every city and Visakhapatnam has taken a step in this direction”, he added. He said that Andhra Pradesh and its coastal regions will move ahead in this race of development with new momentum and energy.
The Prime Minister referred to the troubled global climate and touched upon the supply chain disruption for critical products and energy needs. However, the Prime Minister said, India wrote a new chapter of development in these difficult times. The world has acknowledged this as experts are praising India’s achievements and “India has become the centre of hope for the entire world”, he said. This is made possible only because of the fact that “India is working while keeping the aspiration and needs of its citizens. Every policy and decision is for making the life of the common citizen better.” The Prime Minister referred to the PLI scheme, GST, IBC, and National Infrastructure pipeline as the cause of increased investment in India. At the same time, he said, schemes for the welfare of the poor are being expanded. “Today in this journey of development, the areas that were earlier marginalised. Have also been included. Even in the most backward districts development schemes are being run through the Aspirational Districts Program”, he said. The Prime Minister also listed many steps like free ration to people for the last two and half years, 6 thousand rupees every year in the account of every farmer, and easing of drone, gaming and start-up related rules.
Emphasising the importance of clear goals, the Prime Minister gave the example of the extraction of deep water energy through modern technology in Andhra Pradesh. He also underlined the government’s focus on the Blue Economy. “Blue economy has become such a big priority for the first time”, he added. He mentioned measures like Kisan Credit Cards for fishermen and the modernisation of Visakhapatnam fishing harbour that started today.
The Prime Minister highlighted that for centuries, the sea has been a source of prosperity for India and our seashores have acted as a gateway to this prosperity. He emphasised that the projects worth thousands of crores which are going on for port lead development in the country will get a further expansion after today.
Concluding the address, the Prime Minister said, “The India of the 21st century is bringing the holistic thought of development to the ground.” He expressed the belief that Andhra Pradesh will continue to play a pivotal role in this development drive of the country.
Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Shri Y S R Jagan Reddy, Governor of Andhra Pradesh, Shri Biswa Bhushan Harichandan, Union Minister Ashvini Vaishnaw, Members of Parliament and Members of the Legislative Council of Andhra Pradesh were those present on occasion.
Background
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the redevelopment of Visakhapatnam Railway Station, to be done at a cost of around Rs 450 crores. The redeveloped station would cater to 75,000 passengers per day and will improve the passenger experience by providing modern amenities.
The Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone for the modernisation and upgradation of Visakhapatnam Fishing Harbour. The total cost of the project is around Rs. 150 crores. The fishing harbour, after its upgradation and modernisation, will double the handling capacity from 150 Tons per day to about 300 tons per day, provide safe landing and berthing and other modern infrastructure facilities reduce turnaround time in the jetty, reduce wastage and help improve price realisation.
He also laid the foundation stone of Andhra Pradesh section of the six-lane Greenfield Raipur- Visakhapatnam Economic Corridor. It will be built at a cost of more than Rs 3750 crore. The Economic Corridor will provide faster connectivity between the Industrial Nodes of Chhattisgarh & Odisha to Visakhapatnam Port & Chennai – Kolkata National Highway. It will also improve connectivity to tribal and backward areas of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. The Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone of a dedicated Port Road from Convent Junction to Sheela Nagar Junction in Visakhapatnam. It will ease traffic congestion in Visakhapatnam City by segregating local and port-bound goods traffic. He also dedicated to the nation, Narasannapeta to Pathapatnam section of NH-326A built at a cost of more than Rs 200 crore as a part of the Srikakulam-Gajapati Corridor. The project would provide better connectivity in the region.
The Prime Minister dedicated to the nation, the U-field Onshore Deepwater block project of ONGC in Andhra Pradesh, developed at a cost of more than Rs. 2900 crores. It is the deepest Gas discovery of the project with a gas production potential of about 3 million metric standard cubic metres per day (MMSCMD). He will lay the foundation stone of the Srikakulam Angul Natural Gas Pipeline Project of GAIL with a capacity of around 6.65 MMSCMD. This 745 km long pipeline will be built at a total cost of more than Rs 2650 crores. Being a part of the Natural Gas Grid (NGG), the pipeline will create the vital infrastructure to supply Natural Gas to domestic households, industries, commercial units and Automobile sectors in various districts of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. The pipeline will supply natural gas to the City Gas Distribution Network in Srikakulam and Vizianagaram districts of Andhra Pradesh.
