Vijayawada, Jan 19 (IANS): Asserting that Andhra Pradesh suffered due to man-made disasters between 2019 and 2024, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said that the Centre facilitated investments and aid exceeding Rs 3 lakh crore for the state in the past six months.
The Union Home Minister praised Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu for propelling the state forward through sound administrative, financial, and developmental strategies while noting that Prime Minister Modi ensured all the help to the state. He was speaking at the 20th Raising Day ceremony of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) in Vijayawada.
He also inaugurated and laid foundation stones for various projects worth approximately Rs 220 crore. These include the National South Campus of the Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM), the 10th Battalion of the NDRF, and the Regional Response Centre at Supaul Campus.
The Home Minister also virtually 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.
HM Shah remarked that when natural calamities strike, NDRF comes to the rescue, and when man-made calamities occur, the Narendra Modi government comes to help. Referring to the YSR Congress Party rule between 2019 and 2024, Shah said that in the five years, 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 Modi and Chief Minister Naidu are driving Andhra Pradesh’s growth at three times the speed. HM 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.
The Home Minister claimed that in the past six months, PM Modi has accelerated efforts to realise Chandrababu Naidu's vision of Amaravati as the state capital by allocating Rs 27,000 crore 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.
He 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. HM 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.
The Union Home Minister highlighted that significant advancements have been made in disaster management through the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) over the past decade. He emphasised the importance of seamless coordination, from Gram Panchayats, police stations, NCC, and Scouts cadets to the Government of India, to ensure effective disaster management on the ground.
He credited Prime Minister Modi for introducing a revolutionary change in the approach, methodology, and objectives of disaster management. The Home Minister noted that the relief-centric approach of previous times has been replaced with a rescue-centric one, marking a comprehensive shift. There was also a shift from reactive to proactive strategies, with a clear target of achieving zero casualties during disasters over and above minimising losses.
HM Shah stated that the NDRF has established itself as a credible organisation not only within India but also globally in a remarkably short period. He said that when NDRF personnel arrive during a disaster, people feel assured that they are now safe. He highlighted that in the past two years, the NDRF successfully achieved the target of zero casualties during two major storms.
He noted that the NDRF's efforts in countries such as Nepal, Indonesia, Turkey, Myanmar, Vietnam, and others have been widely recognised and appreciated by their respective heads of state. The Home Minister emphasised that the NDRF's implementation of NDMA policies on the ground has played a pivotal role in positioning India as a global leader in disaster management today.
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, Union Minister of Civil Aviation K. Ram Mohan Naidu, Union Minister of State for Home Bandi Sanjay Kumar, Home Secretary Govind Mohan, and NDRF Director General Piyush Anand were present on the occasion.