AP: Modi Lays Foundations For Projects Of Rs 58,000 Cr

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today laid the foundation stones for multiple development projects worth over Rs 58,000 crore in Amaravathi, Andhra Pradesh.

Modi extended his greetings to the people of Andhra Pradesh and offered prayers to Bhagwan Veerabhadra, Bhagwan Amaralingeshwara and Tirupati Balaji. He also conveyed his best wishes to AP Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan, and said, "Amaravathi is a land where tradition and progress go hand in hand, embracing both the peace of its Buddhist heritage and the energy of building a developed India. I do not see just a city, but a dream coming true - a new Amaravathi, a new Andhra."

He added that the ceremonies - laying foundation stones and inaugurating projects - were not merely about concrete structures, but about building the strong foundation of Andhra Pradesh's aspirations and India's developmental vision.

Addressing the Chief Minister and Deputy CM, the Prime Minister said that it was their shared responsibility to make this vision a reality.

Modi also said that over the past 10 years India had focused extensively on physical, digital and social infrastructure, and was now among the fastest-modernising infrastructure nations in the world. And Andhra Pradesh had benefited significantly from this focus, he said.

Thousands of crores worth of road and rail projects had been allocated to the State, accelerating its development, he claimed. "Andhra Pradesh is witnessing a new era of connectivity, which will enhance district-to-district links and improve connectivity with neighbouring States. That will mean farmers will gain easier access to larger markets and industries will benefit from improved logistical efficiency," he said.

He added that such development directly benefitted India's youth by creating employment opportunities, and that thousands of young people in Andhra Pradesh were securing new jobs through these initiatives.

He also said that Andhra Pradesh had a pivotal role in establishing India as a space power, and that every mission launched from Sriharikota filled millions of Indians with pride and inspired the country's youth to pursue space exploration.

The PM also said that the Nava Durga Testing Range in Nagayalanka, the DRDO's new missile testing range that laid the foundation stone for, would serve as a force multiplier for India's defense capabilities, drawing strength from Maa Durga's divine power. He congratulated the nation's scientists and the people of Andhra Pradesh for this landmark achievement.

He announced that Visakhapatnam would soon have its own Ekta Mall, where artisans and craftsmen from across India could showcase their products under one roof. These malls, he said, would connect people with India's cultural diversity while boosting the local economy and strengthening the "Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat" vision.

The Prime Minister also announced that this year's International Day of Yoga (June 21), marking its 10th edition, would be celebrated in Andhra Pradesh - an event he would personally attend.

He urged people to undertake more yoga-related activities over the next 50 days and help set a world record.

He concluded saying that Andhra Pradesh had no shortage of dreamers or achievers, and that the State was on the right path and progressing at the right pace.