NewzVille Desk
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, attended the 20th Raising Day ceremony of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) as the Chief Guest in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh on 19 January 2025.
During the event, 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.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, Union Minister of Civil Aviation K. Rammohan Naidu, Union Minister of State for Home Bandi Sanjay Kumar, Home Secretary Govind Mohan, and NDRF Director General Piyush Anand were present on the occasion.
In his address, 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.
HM Shah said that in the five years from 2014 to 2019 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.
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 the past six months.
HM 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.
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.
Home Minister 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.
