Prime Minister Narendra Modi is visiting Andhra Pradesh on Thursday to inaugurate and lay the foundation for projects worth over Rs 13,430 crore, officials said.
The projects, spanning sectors such as industry, power transmission, roads, railways, defence manufacturing and petroleum along with natural gas, are expected to strengthen the state’s infrastructure and industrial growth.
According to the Press Information Bureau, PM Modi will begin his visit at Sri Bhramaramba Mallikarjuna Swamy Varla Devasthanam in Srisailam to offer prayers and have darshan. Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu is scheduled to receive him at Kurnool Airport around 10 am.
Industrial hubs and infrastructure projects
After Srisailam, Modi will proceed to Kurnool to inaugurate and lay the foundation stones for multiple projects. These include the Transmission System Strengthening at Kurnool-III Pooling Station, valued at over Rs 2,880 crore. The 765 KV double-circuit line will increase transformation capacity by 6,000 MVA and enable large-scale renewable energy transmission.
He will also lay foundations for the Orvakal and Kopparthy Industrial Areas in Kurnool and Kadapa, jointly developed by the National Industrial Corridor Development and Implementation Trust (NICDIT) and Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (APIIC). With investments exceeding Rs 4,920 crore, these multi-sectoral hubs are expected to attract Rs 21,000 crore and create around 1 lakh jobs.
Road and highway projects are also on the agenda. Modi will lay the foundation for the six-lane Sabbavaram-Sheelanagar greenfield highway at a cost of Rs 960 crore and inaugurate the four-laning of Pileru-Kalur section, Kanigiri Bypass, and several bypass improvements.
Railways and Energy sector initiatives
In railways, the PM will lay the foundation stone for the Kothavalasa-Vizianagaram Fourth Railway Line and a Rail Flyover between Pendurti and Simhachalam North, while inaugurating the doubling of Kottavalasa-Boddavara and Shimiliguda-Gorapur sections. The total investment for these railway projects exceeds Rs 1,200 crore.
Energy sector initiatives include the inauguration of the Srikakulam-Angul Natural Gas Pipeline by GAIL India Limited, built at Rs 1,730 crore, and Indian Oil’s 60 TMTPA LPG bottling plant in Chittoor, set up at Rs 200 crore. PM Modi will also inaugurate Bharat Electronics Limited’s Advanced Night Vision Products Factory at Nimmaluru, Krishna district, established at Rs 360 crore.
During his visit, Modi will attend the “Super GST Super Savings” event in Kurnool, highlighting the recent overhaul of the GST regime. Chief Minister Naidu said the programme celebrates the people’s appreciation of the reforms and that the PM will personally explain the benefits.
Naidu also indicated that PM Modi will lay the foundation for the state’s first “Drone City” in Srisailam. The visit is expected to conclude with Modi departing from Kurnool Airport around 4:40 pm. Elaborate security arrangements are in place for the day, PTI reported.
