Visakhapatnam: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday dedicated to the nation the Rs 2,917 crore U-field Onshore Deepwater Block project of ONGC in Andhra Pradesh. It is the deepest gas discovery project with a production potential of about three million metric standard cubic metres per day (MMSCMD). On the second day of his two-day tour of the state, the Prime Minister in all launched nine projects worth Rs 15,233 crore in virtual mode from the Andhra University Engineering College grounds and unveiled a plaque.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that India has become the center point to the world's desires and programmes like PM Gati Shakti were attracting more foreign investments into the country. Addressing a meeting after launching several infrastructure development projects here, the Prime Minister said PM Gati Shakti has not only speeded up infrastructure development but also helped cut costs.
"Integrated view is of prime importance for infrastructure development. Isolated view taken in the past has caused heavy losses to the country," Modi pointed out. He said supply chains and logistics depended on multi-modal connectivity. Multi-modal transport system would be the future of every city. The PM also noted that "blue economy" has become a top priority for the first time. Port-led development has also become the key, he added.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also laid the foundation stone for the ambitious redevelopment project of Visakhapatnam Railway station. The Rs 446 crore project taken up by the Rail Land Development Authority assumes significance as Visakhapatnam will soon transform into the headquarters of new South Coastal Railway Zone. Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw was present on the occasion.
The project is being taken up on EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) mode to create world-class facilities to passengers. The upgraded station will be universally accessible with state-of-the-art skywalks facilitating seamless passenger movement. A Roof Plaza connecting the departure halls with a common waiting area will be constructed above the platforms for facilitating easy movement of passengers. A commercial area over the Multi-Level Car Parking, an Internet of Things-based smart parking management system, retail and office spaces, retiring rooms and a medical emergency room are some of the features planned as part of the redevelopment. Government officials said the redevelopment of Visakhapatnam railway station will have a multiplier impact on the local economy and further accentuate growth.
Andhra Pradesh Governor Biswabhusan Harichandan, Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, Union Railways and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, state ministers, MPs and legislators attended the event. Modi dedicated the 39-km Narasannapeta to Pathapatnam section of NH-326A built at a cost of Rs 211 crore as part of the Srikakulam-Gajapati Corridor. The project would provide better connectivity to the backward areas of AP and Odisha.
Modi laid the foundation stone for the AP section of six-lane 100-km access-controlled greenfield Raipur- Visakhapatnam Economic Corridor of NH-130CD that will be built at a cost of Rs 3,778 crore. The Economic Corridor will provide faster connectivity between various industrial nodes of Chhattisgarh and Odisha to Visakhapatnam Port and Chennai Kolkata National Highway. It will also improve connectivity to tribal and backward areas of AP and Odisha.
The project is expected to be completed by October 2024, with a provision for expansion to 10-lane in future. Among others, the PM laid the foundation stone for a dedicated Port road from Convent Junction to Sheela Nagar Junction in Visakhapatnam. The Rs 566 crore project will serve as a dedicated freight corridor for Visakhapatnam Port traffic and ease traffic congestion in the city. The road will be completed by March 2025.
The Rs 2,650 crore 745-km Srikakulam Angul Natural Gas Pipeline Project of GAIL, for which he laid the foundation, will have a capacity of around 6.65 MMSCMD. A part of the Natural Gas Grid (NGG), the new pipeline will create vital infrastructure for supply of natural gas to households, industries, commercial units and automobile sector in AP and Odisha. The pipeline will supply natural gas to the City Gas Distribution Network in Srikakulam and Vizianagaram districts of AP.
The long-delayed modernisation of the Visakhapatnam Fishing Harbour will finally take-off as the Prime Minister laid the foundation for the Rs 152 crore project. The upgradation and modernisation will double the handling capacity from 150 to 300 tonnes per day and provide safe landing and berthing. The Prime Minister virtually inaugurated the Grass Root petroleum depot at Guntakal built by the Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas at a cost of Rs 385 crore.
He also dedicated the Vijayawada-Gudivada-Bhimavaram, Gudivada-Machilipatnam-Bhimavaram-Narasapuram railway lines doubling and electrification project to the nation. The project was completed last month at a cost of Rs 4,106 crore.
