Naidu Credits Modi for AP’s Growth

Visakhapatnam: Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu showered praises on Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the recent large-scale developments in Andhra Pradesh while participating in inauguration of the Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport at Bhogapuram in Vizianagaram district on Saturday.

The Chief Minister underlined that PM Modi opening the international airport is the beginning of a new chapter in the region’s development. He emphasised that support of the central government over the past two years has led to an investment of `6.13 lakh crore for 189 projects in North Andhra, which is expected to create 5.57 lakh jobs.

Naidu credited Narendra Modi for facilitating the establishment of the Visakhapatnam Railway Zone and for providing financial assistance to revive the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant. He asserted that eight irrigation projects worth `2,784 crore would be completed within three years, while the long-pending permissions for the Neradi Barrage have finally been secured.

The Chief Minister confirmed that Polavaram project would be completed by 2027 and dedicated to the nation by the Prime Minister, while the first phase of Amaravati City is set to be completed by 2028. He asserted that under Modi’s leadership, the promises made two years ago to rebuild the state are being realised. “Once they mocked that Airbuses would not come, now world-class Airbuses are landing,” he remarked.

Naidu said the airport, built between the sea and the hills, would transform North Andhra just as Shamshabad Airport reshaped Telangana. Praising the farmers for providing land for the project, he said naming the airport after freedom fighter Alluri Sitarama Raju is a matter of pride.

The Chief Minister pointed out that built by GMR, a company based in North Andhra, the airport showcases the region’s potential to the world. In this context, he acknowledged the contributions of former civil aviation minister Pusapati Ashok Gajapathi Raju and current Union aviation minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, both from North Andhra, in advancing the project.

The Chief Minister praised Narendra Modi’s leadership when the world is transitioning from IT to AI, citing initiatives such as Digital India, Atmanirbhar Bharat, Ayushman Bharat, and the Jal Jeevan Mission. He stated that the Prime Minister has elevated India to the fourth position in the global economy and protected the country from the impacts of international conflicts.

“Even those who criticise Modi recognise the good he has accomplished,” Chandrababu Naidu maintained, calling the Prime Minister “the right person at the right time in the right place.” He asked people to support Narendra Modi, asserting that only the Prime Minister can fulfil the hopes and aspirations of 1.44 billion Indians.

The Chief Minister revealed that Godavari water would reach Anakapalli on August 14, while the Vamsadhara-Godavari linkage would also be pursued. Expressing optimism, he expressed confidence that North Andhra would emerge as a hub for tourism, pharmaceuticals, rare earth minerals, national highways, and spiritual tourism, thereby reducing the need for people to migrate from the region in search of employment.