Modi stated, "Amaravati is a place where tradition and progress go hand in hand."
Velagapudi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that Amaravati, the capital of Andhra Pradesh was not just a city of concrete structures but a shakti that would transform Andhra Pradesh into a modern and sophisticated state that would considerably contribute to his dream of Viksit Bharat. "Amaravati oka nagaram kaadu. Oka shakti. Andhra Pradesh nu aadhunika, adhunatana pradesh gaa maarche shakti," he said in Telugu, drawing applause from a mammoth gathering after relaunching the capital project here.
Apparently referring to the trouncing of Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, who had turned Amaravati into an apocalyptic city with his non-starter idea of three capitals, the Prime Minister said: "The eclipse is over. I had the privilege to lay the foundation stone for the people's capital in 2015 and, with Chandrababu Naidu's government in place now, development has once again gained momentum."
Modi laid foundation stones for infrastructure projects worth about Rs 60,000 crore, which include buildings for the Assembly, High Court and the Secretariat, besides irrigation projects that would prevent the flooding of the capital city. Present at the event were Governor Abdul Naseer, Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan and minister Nara Lokesh among others.
Modi invoked the strong sentiment of Telugu Desam founder and former chief minister N.T. Rama Rao who he said had nurtured a great vision for the development of Andhra Pradesh. "Amaravati is a foundation to realise his dream. Amaravati is a land where tradition meets development. It reflects Buddhist peace and possesses power to build Viksit Bharat," he added. Again, switching over to Telugu, much to the delight of the audience, who cheered and clapped, Modi said; "Chandrababu Naidu garu, my dear friend Pawan Kalyan.. idi manam cheyali.. maname cheyali (together we should do this, only we can do it)."
Heaping praise on Naidu, the Prime Minister said he could say with great conviction born out of experience that only Naidu could fast-track projects of such magnitude. Amaravati would emerge as a leading city in the fields of IT, AI, green energy, clean industries, education and health care, he said, adding that the Centre would extend all-out support to the state in creating infrastructure necessary to realise the dream. “The NDA is committed to the development of Andhra Pradesh,” he said.
Referring to Naidu, speaking earlier, praising him as the architect of technological advancement that the country was witnessing, Modi said he wanted to reveal a secret: He, as Gujarat Chief Minister, thoroughly studied the initiatives of Naidu towards IT growth in the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh, and implemented them as Prime Minister across the country.
Welcoming Naidu's assurance to complete the capital within three years, Modi said he could see the gross state domestic product leaping forward and changing the state's history forever. The massive construction activity would increase demand for raw materials like cement, steel and transportation besides creating thousands of jobs to youth. Modi said there was no dearth of people in Andhra Pradesh who dream and realise their dreams. "The state is now on the right track," he pointed out.
The Prime Minister said India's strength did not lie in its weapons but in the unity among people. To further this unity, the NDA government had come up with Ekta Malls. These malls, built in several cities, would showcase the unity in diversity by bringing different cultures to one place. Artisans from across the country will exhibit their products in Ekta Malls which were designed to promote the concept of "Ek Bharat Shresht Bharat" (One India, Great India).
Modi, who virtually inaugurated the Defence Research Development Organisation's missile facility in the Nagayalanka coast, said that Isro’s Sriharikota space station had put India on the global map. With every rocket launch, people took pride and students drew inspiration to take up a career in aerospace. The new missile centre would strengthen the defence sector like Maa Bhavani's armour, he added.
Modi also said that the NDA government had always formulated policies keeping the poor, farmers, youths and women in mind. The Centre has spent Rs 12 lakh crore for the supply of fertilisers, about 1,000 new varieties of seeds had been provided to farmers and in, AP alone, farmers were provided crop loss compensation of Rs 5,500 crore and Kisan Samman crop assistance of Rs 17,500 crore.
Maintaining that the interlinking of rivers would be pushed to ensure that no farmer in the country suffered a shortage of water, the Prime Minister said the Polavaram project in AP, where work had gained pace recently, would change the lives of farmers. The Centre had been extending all the support for the quick completion of the project, he added.
As the history of the fastest-growing economies had proved that the railways played a crucial role, Modi said, the NDA government had been writing a new chapter in connectivity by spending lakhs of crores of rupees on improving infrastructure. The best example, he said, was that against the maximum allocation to undivided AP of Rs900 crore, the NDA government had made a budgetary provision of Rs 9000 crore only to residuary AP.
The Prime Minister refrained from speaking on the Pahalgam terror attack. Speaker after speaker in the public meeting invoked national pride and sentiment, condemning the terror attack and pledging unconditional support to the Prime Minister and to the response he had planned for the perpetrators of the terror attacks.
