Prime Minister Narendra Modi in conversation with Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday. Governor S. Abdul Nazeer and Deputy Chief Minister K. Pawan Kalyan are seen.
| Photo Credit: ANI
Surrounded by a massive outpouring of people, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, flanked by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister K. Pawan Kalyan, virtually laid the foundation stone for the highly-awaited South Coast Railway (SCoR) Zone in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday.
In what is his first trip to Visakhapatnam after the 2024 elections, the Prime Minister began his speech in Telugu, much to the delight of the large gathering in attendance at the venue of the public meeting — the Andhra University College of Engineering (AUCE) grounds.
“Meeru naapai chupisthunna premaki, abhimananiki kruthagyatalu. Naa abhimanam choopinchukune samayam ippudu naaku vachhindi (I express my heartfelt thankfulness for the love and affection you have showered on me. The time has come for me to repay my gratitude to you all),” began the Prime Minister, to a thunderous applause from the gathering.
Along with laying the foundation stone for the SCoR Zone, the Prime Minister virtually launched various projects worth over ₹2 lakh crore in Andhra Pradesh, including the NTPC green hydrogen project at Pudimadaka and the bulk drug park at Nakkapalli, on Wednesday evening.
“The railway zone has been a long-cherished dream of the people of Visakhapatnam. Andhra Pradesh has already achieved 100% rail electrification. Over 70 railway stations in the State have been chosen for development under the Amrit Bharat Station scheme,” the Prime Minister said.
Describing Visakhapatnam as the gateway to Andhra Pradesh, Mr. Modi said that maritime trade with other countries flourished from the city for centuries, and continues to do so. The projects launched today would help transform the State, he said.
Stating that Visakhapatnam was one of the few cities chosen across the country for setting up of a green hydrogen hub by the NTPC, Mr. Modi said the project would generate large-scale employment apart from significantly contributing to the development of a manufacturing ecosystem. The Bulk Drug Park at Nakkapalli, near Visakhapatnam, was one of three such projects across the country for research and manufacturing of pharmaceuticals, he said.
Referring to Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu’s ambitious Swarnandhra Vision-2047 document, the Prime Minister promised all help to transform the face of Andhra Pradesh as envisioned by Mr. Naidu.
Mr. Modi also virtually laid the foundation stone for an industrial hub at Krishnapatnam near Tirupati as well as for several road expansion and rail line projects in the State.
Completed projects that were inaugurated by the Prime Minister on the occasion include the Chilakaluripet six-lane bypass road, Bowdara-Vizianagaram two-lane road expansion and Vijayawada-Gudivada-Bhimavaram-Narasapuram rail line.
Naidu hails PM’s vision
Earlier, addressing the gathering, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu spoke about the vision of Mr. Modi, and said the Prime Minister had not only accepted his request for raw materials to the proposed Arcelor Mittal plant in Anakapalli district but had also suggested the use of a slurry pipeline for reducing transportation costs.
Narrating an example of Mr. Modi’s proactive vision, Mr. Naidu said that he had broached the topic of multinational conglomerate Google evincing interest in setting up a base in Visakhapatnam, but also expressing apprehension over a possible increase in taxation in the future. “The Prime Minister immediately accepted my suggestion that there should be no change in taxation policy in the future, so as to enable firms like Google to enter Andhra Pradesh,” Mr. Naidu said.
Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan and IT Minister Nara Lokesh spoke about the contributions of Mr. Modi to the development of Andhra Pradesh and the nation at large, which they said endeared him to the people.
Published – January 08, 2025 11:27 pm IST
