PM Modi lays foundation stone, inaugurates Rs 18,000 crore development projects in Andhra Pradesh, flags off UDAN 2.0 expansion

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday laid the foundation for and inaugurated projects worth nearly Rs 18,000 crore in Andhra Pradesh, hours after inaugurating the Rs 5,700 crore Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport at Bhogapuram in Vizianagaram district.

Addressing the gathering at Vizianagaram, Modi said, "Development projects worth approximately Rs 18,000 crore have been launched, inaugurated, and had their foundation stones laid here... These development works symbolise the rapid pace at which Andhra Pradesh is progressing today."

The Prime Minister also praised Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu for combining infrastructure push with cultural celebration. "It is a hallmark of Chandrababu that he has embraced both aspects. On one hand, the construction of an airport, a facility that reaches for the skies, and on the other, the setting of a world record for the Dhimsa dance by our tribal sisters. I particularly appreciate this vision of Chandrababu," he said, referring to the Dhimsa dance performance by over 13,500 tribal women and students that greeted him earlier in the day.


Also read: PM Modi inaugurates Rs 5,000 cr Bhogapuram Airport in Andhra Pradesh

Speaking on the expansion of regional air connectivity, Modi said, "It is not just the number of airports that has increased over these twelve years. Thanks to our 'UDAN' scheme, people from even poor families are getting the opportunity to fly... Just recently, the government launched the second phase of the UDAN scheme, with an expenditure of Rs 29 thousand crore allocated for it."

Semiconductor push

Modi laid the foundation stone for the Rs 460 crore ASIP Semiconductor Project at Visakhapatnam, being developed by ASIP Technologies Pvt Ltd in partnership with APACT, Republic of Korea. "It is Andhra Pradesh's first semiconductor manufacturing facility approved under the India Semiconductor Mission, which will manufacture around 96 million semiconductor chips annually and foster a robust ancillary ecosystem to support semiconductor manufacturing," a PIB press release had said.

Renewable energy transmission projects

The PM laid the foundation stone for the transmission system for the integration of Kurnool-IV Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) - Phase-I (4.5 GW), being implemented by POWERGRID through a Special Purpose Vehicle at an investment of about Rs 5,550 crore.

He also inaugurated the transmission system for Kurnool Wind Energy Zone and Solar Energy Zone (Andhra Pradesh) - Part A and Part B, implemented at a cost of around Rs 3,550 crore, besides the transmission scheme for Solar Energy Zone in Ananthapuram (2,500 MW) and Kurnool (1,000 MW), implemented by POWERGRID at a cost of over Rs 820 crore.

"These transmission projects will enable the evacuation of power generated from the renewable energy zones in Kurnool and Ananthapuram and the transmission of power to beneficiaries across the country through the National Grid," the release said, adding that the projects will support India's decarbonisation efforts by reducing dependence on fossil fuel-based power generation.

Highway projects

The PM dedicated to the nation and laid the foundation stone for National Highway projects worth over Rs 1,880 crore. These include the four-lane access-controlled greenfield highway from Recherla to Guruvaygudem section of NH-365 BG, the four-lane access-controlled greenfield highway from Guruvaygudem to Devarapalle section of NH-365BG, and the four-lane Tadipatri Bypass on NH-67. He also laid the foundation stone for a high-level bridge at Lingasamudram on the Penchalakona-Yerpedu section of NH-565.

The highway projects are expected to ease congestion in Vijayawada and several other cities, improve road safety, reduce travel distance and time between Visakhapatnam and Hyderabad, and boost regional connectivity.

The day's events came alongside the inauguration of the Bhogapuram airport, developed under the public-private partnership model by GMR Airports, which is designed to handle 6 million passengers annually and is expected to begin commercial flight operations from August 17.

With inputs from PTI