Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah, attended the 20th Raising Day ceremony of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) as the Chief Guest in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh.
During the event, Shri Amit Shah inaugurated many projects and laid the foundation stones for other projects worth approximately Rs 220 crore. These include National South Campus of Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM), the 10th Battalion of the NDRF, and the Regional Response Centre at Supaul Campus.
The Home Minister also laid the foundation stone of the new 'Integrated Shooting Range' at the National Police Academy in Hyderabad and inaugurated the Regional Forensic Science Laboratory building in Tirupati.
Several dignitaries were present on the occasion, including Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Shri N. Chandrababu Naidu, Union Minister of Civil Aviation Shri K. Rammohan Naidu, Union Minister of State for Home Shri Bandi Sanjay Kumar, Home Secretary Shri Govind Mohan, and NDRF Director General Shri Piyush Anand.
In his address, Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah, said that when natural calamities strike, NDRF comes to the rescue, and when man-made calamities occur, the Narendra Modi government comes to the help.
Shri Shah said that in the five years from 2019 to 2024 Andhra Pradesh has faced significant setbacks due to the man-made disaster, affecting the immense potential of the state. He said that to make up for the developmental losses during the period, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Shri N. Chandrababu Naidu are driving Andhra Pradesh’s growth at three times the speed.
Shri Amit Shah praised Shri Chandrababu Naidu for propelling the state forward through sound administrative, financial, and developmental strategies, while noting that Prime Minister Modi has facilitated investments and aid exceeding Rs. 3 lakh Crore for Andhra Pradesh in past six months.
Shri Shah highlighted the recent Union Cabinet approval of Rs. 11,000 Crore for the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, a move aimed at securing the plant’s long-term viability and preserving its status as a symbol of pride for Andhra Pradesh.
He also recalled the vision of Amaravati as the state capital, conceptualized by Shri Chandrababu Naidu and inaugurated with a groundbreaking ceremony (Bhoomi Pujan) by Prime Minister Modi. However, he criticized the previous government for neglecting this ambitious project.
Shri Amit Shah said that in the past six months, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has accelerated efforts to realize Shri Chandrababu Naidu's vision of Amaravati as the state capital by allocating Rs. 27,000 Crore for the Amaravati project through HUDCO and the World Bank.
He highlighted that the foundation stone for the new railway zone has been laid, and water from Polavaram, considered the lifeline of Andhra Pradesh, will reach every corner of the state by 2028. Shri Shah also mentioned the commencement of the AIIMS hospital project at a cost of Rs. 1,600 crore and shared plans to invest Rs. 2 lakh Crore to make Visakhapatnam a hub for green hydrogen.
Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah noted that in the last six months, highway and infrastructure projects worth approximately Rs. 1.2 lakh crore have been approved for Andhra Pradesh.
Shri Shah affirmed that the Central Government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, stands firmly with Shri Chandrababu Naidu to ensure the rapid development of Andhra Pradesh.
Union Home Minister highlighted that, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, significant advancements have been made in disaster management through the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) over the past decade.
He emphasized the importance of seamless coordination, from Gram Panchayats, police stations, NCC, and Scouts cadets to the Government of India, to ensure effective disaster management on the ground.
Shri Shah credited Prime Minister Modi for introducing a revolutionary change in the approach, methodology, and objectives of disaster management. He noted that the relief-centric approach of previous times has been replaced with a rescue-centric one, marking a comprehensive shift since 2014, the year when Modi Ji became Prime Minister.
This shift has also seen a move from reactive to proactive strategies, with a clear target of achieving zero casualties during disasters over and above minimizing losses. Shri Shah acknowledged the harmonious collaboration among NDRF, NDMA, and NIDM in working towards this goal, ensuring more effective disaster management and protection of lives.
Shri Amit Shah stated that the NDRF has established itself as a credible organization not only within India but also globally in a remarkably short period. He said that when NDRF personnel arrive during a disaster, people feel assured that they are now safe.
He highlighted that in the past two years, the NDRF successfully achieved the target of zero casualties during two major storms. Shri Shah noted that the NDRF's efforts in countries such as Nepal, Indonesia, Turkey, Myanmar, Vietnam, and others have been widely recognized and appreciated by their respective heads of state.
He emphasized that the NDRF's implementation of NDMA policies on the ground has played a pivotal role in positioning India as a global leader in disaster management today. Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation stated that under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the central government’s commitment to disaster management is evident from the fact that the 12th Finance Commission allocated Rs 12,500 crores for disaster management, which was increased to Rs 61,000 crores in the 14th Finance Commission.
He mentioned that under Prime Minister Modi's guidance, India has taken the lead globally in the field of Disaster Resilient Infrastructure. He further said that under Prime Minister Modi's leadership, India established the CDRI (Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure), and today, 48 countries are working under the leadership of CDRI as its members.
Shri Amit Shah said that the Modi government has done public awareness work in the field of disaster management by creating many apps, websites and portals. He mentioned that millions of people across the country have connected with these apps, and efforts are being made to make these apps capable of communicating in all languages.
He also highlighted that services like Dial 112 and the Common Alert Protocol have been of great help to the people. Shri Shah added that, in this regard, two more institutions are set to join today.
He further mentioned that Shri N. Chandrababu Naidu has provided land at no cost to the Centre and has helped it in establishing the 10th Battalion of NDRF and the South India branch of NIDM.