Home Minister Amit Shah, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister K. Pawan Kalyan looking at equipment displayed by the NDRF at its Raising Day event in Krishna district on Sunday.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the Central government extended financial support of nearly ₹3 lakh crore to Andhra Pradesh (A.P.) since June 2024 while Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu took the State forward at a great speed with his experience.
Thanking the people of A.P. for giving a stunning victory to the NDA partners (TDP, Jana Sena Party and BJP) in the 2024 elections, Mr. Shah called the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP)’s five-year rule a ‘man made disaster’.
Participating as the chief guest at the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF)‘s 20th Raising Day event after inaugurating the southern campus of the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) that caters to south India, including the Union Territories, along with the NDRF’s 20th Battalion premises, at Kondapavuluru in Gannavaram mandal of Krishna district on Sunday (January 19), Mr. Shah said, ‘‘The name of NDRF comes to one’s mind during natural disasters whereas the NDA emerges as a saviour even during man-made disasters like the one in A.P. brought by the YSRCP.’‘
He stated that A.P.’s potential was destroyed by the YSRCP and people could now feel assured of rapid development under the NDA rule. By sanctioning a financial package of ₹11,440 crore for the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP), Prime Minister Narendra Modi not only ensured that the historic steel plant survived the crisis but also respected the sentiment associated with it.
Mr. Shah said in tune with the importance given to the development of Amaravati, the Centre provided a financial support of ₹27,000 crore from the World Bank and HUDCO.
He stated that the Centre would fully support the Polavaram project and that Mr. Naidu sounded confident about supplying water from it to all parts of the State by the end of 2028.
Mr. Shah said Visakhapatnam was poised to become a ‘green hydrogen capital’ with investments amounting to ₹2 lakh crore.
Disaster management
Referring to tackling disasters, Mr. Shah said the NDRF, NIDM and the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) had together evolved into a ‘proactive force’ that not merely rescued lives but achieved the objective of zero casualties through a 360-degree transformation in their approach and methodology.
Under Mr. Modi’s leadership, India took the lead in establishing the international Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, Mr. Shah added.
In his speech, Mr. Naidu expressed gratitude to the Central government, Mr. Modi and Mr. Shah for extending support to A.P. in overcoming the crises faced by it after bifurcation, and sought more hand-holding to enable it to catch up with other progressive States.
He also requested the Central support for linking the Godavari, Krishna and Penna rivers, saying that tapping these waters would give a major boost to development.
Union Ministers K. Rammohan Naidu, Bandi Sanjay Kumar and Bhupathiraju Srinivasa Varma, Deputy Chief Minister K. Pawan Kalyan, Home Secretary Govind Mohan, NDRF Director-General Piyush Anand and others were present.
Published – January 19, 2025 04:01 pm IST