PM Modi announces infrastructure projects worth Rs 35,000 crore in Andhra Pradesh, Poll Bound Telangana

Today, Andhra Pradesh saw the opening of a number of infrastructure projects, including ports, rail and road terminals, and oil and natural gas projects by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In the upcoming days, he would also introduce a number of initiatives in Telangana. In December of next year, the state has its assembly elections.

On Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had introduced initiatives and projects in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana worth thousands of crores of rupees.

Among them are the opening of the Rs 26,000 crore HPCL petroleum refinery expansion and modernization project, the first phase of the new Indian Institute of Management Visakhapatnam green campus, and a cruise terminal at the Visakhapatnam Port in Andhra Pradesh. He’ll speak at a public gathering as well.

The Prime Minister presented a plaque and launched nine projects worth Rs 15,233 crore in virtual mode from the premises of the Andhra University Engineering College on the second day of his two-day tour of the state.

The 39-km stretch of NH-326A from Narasannapeta to Pathapatnam, constructed as part of the Srikakulam-Gajapati Corridor at a cost of Rs 211 crore, was dedicated by Modi. Through this project, the national highway connecting Chennai to Kolkata and key industrial hubs in Chhattisgarh and Odisha will be quickly connected. Additionally, it will enhance connectivity to AP and Odisha’s tribal and underdeveloped regions.

The AP segment of the six-lane, 100-km, access-controlled Raipur-Visakhapatnam Economic Corridor of NH-130CD, which is expected to cost Rs 3,778 crore to construct, received its foundational stone from Modi. By October 2024, the project is anticipated to be finished, with the option for potential 10-lane expansion.

In Visakhapatnam, the PM laid the cornerstone for a port road that runs from Convent Junction to Sheela Nagar Junction. The Rs 566 crore project will reduce traffic congestion in the city and act as a designated freight corridor for transportation to and from Visakhapatnam Port. It will be finished by March 2025.

The PM officially opened the 745-km Srikakulam Angul Natural Gas Pipeline Project of GAIL, built at a cost of Rs 2,650 crore as part of the Natural Gas Grid (NGG), which will create essential infrastructure for the supply of natural gas to homes, businesses, and industrial facilities in AP and Odisha. The pipeline will deliver natural gas to the Srikakulam and Vizianagaram districts of Andhra Pradesh’s City Gas Distribution Network.

The Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas constructed the Grass Root petroleum storage near Guntakal at a cost of Rs 385 crore, which the Prime Minister also virtually opened.

Additionally, ONGC’s Rs 2,917 crore U-field Onshore Deepwater Block project in Andhra Pradesh was dedicated to the country by Modi on Saturday. With a production potential of around three million metric standard cubic metres per day, it is the deepest gas finding project (MMSCMD).

The Prime Minister officially laid the groundwork for the Rs 152 crore project, which will see the long-delayed modernization of the Visakhapatnam Fishing Harbour get underway. With safe landing and berthing, the handling capacity will increase from 150 to 300 tonnes per day as a result of this.

He also gave the country his dedication for the electrification and doubling of the railway lines between Vijayawada and Gudivada, as well as between Gudivada and Machilipatnam, Bhimavaram, and Narasapuram. The project cost Rs 4,106 crore to finish last month.

Last but not least, Modi also set the foundation for the enormous renovation project of the Visakhapatnam Railway station. The Rail Land Development Authority’s Rs 446 crore project assumes significance because Visakhapatnam will soon become the administrative centre for the new South Coastal Railway Zone.

According to government representatives, the renovation of the Visakhapatnam train station will boost the regional economy and accelerate growth. “Visakhapatnam is one of the cities in the nation with the quickest rate of growth. The expansion of the IT industry in recent years has greatly boosted the city’s economic activity, they claimed.

Modern skywalks that enable seamless passenger movement will make the refurbished station widely accessible. For simple passenger circulation, a Roof Plaza connecting the departure halls with a shared waiting space will be built above the platforms. Some of the features planned as part of the reconstruction include a commercial area above the Multi-Level Car Parking, an Internet of Things-based smart parking management system, retail and office spaces, retiring rooms, and a medical emergency centre.

Fertiliser plant, rail, and road projects in Telangana:

Later, the Prime Minister would inaugurate and lay the cornerstone for other development projects in the state of Telangana, next door, and dedicate a fertiliser factory there to the nation.

The RFCL fertiliser factory in Ramagundam, Peddapalli district, which was restored at a cost of Rs 6,338 crore and where commercial production started last year, will be opened by Modi.

The PM will also open a 54.1 kilometre railway line between Bhadrachalam Road and Sattupalli, which cost Rs 990 crore to build.

He would formally launch a number of road projects at an estimated budget of Rs 2,268 crore. At a public gathering in Telangana, which is going to the polls, Modi will speak.

In December of next year, Telangana will hold elections for its legislative body.