Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday laid foundation stone of multiple projects worth over ₹10,500 crore at Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement.
He laid the foundation stone of the Andhra Pradesh section of the six-lane Greenfield Raipur- Visakhapatnam Economic Corridor. It will be built at a cost of more than ₹3,750 crore.
“The Economic Corridor will provide faster connectivity between 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 Andhra Pradesh and Odisha,” the Prime Minister’s Office said.
PM Modi also laid the foundation stone of a dedicated Port Road from Convent Junction to Sheela Nagar Junction in Visakhapatnam. It will ease traffic congestion in Visakhapatnam City by segregating local and port-bound goods traffic.
He also dedicated to the nation, Narasannapeta to Pathapatnam section of NH-326A built at a cost of more than ₹200 crore as a part of the Srikakulam-Gajapati Corridor. The project would provide better connectivity in the region.
He also dedicated to the nation the U-field Onshore Deepwater block project of ONGC in Andhra Pradesh, developed at a cost of more than ₹2,900 crore.
In a statement, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said that it is the deepest gas discovery of the project with a gas production potential of about 3 million metric standard cubic metres per day (MMSCMD). He will lay the foundation stone of the Srikakulam Angul Natural Gas Pipeline Project of GAIL with capacity of around 6.65 MMSCMD.
“This 745 km long pipeline will be built at a total cost of more than ₹2650 crores. Being a part of Natural Gas Grid (NGG), the pipeline will create the vital infrastructure to supply Natural Gas to domestic households, industries, commercial units and Automobile sectors in various districts of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. The pipeline will supply natural gas to the City Gas Distribution Network in Srikakulam and Vizianagaram districts of Andhra Pradesh,” the PMO said.
PM Modi laid the foundation stone for the redevelopment of Visakhapatnam Railway Station, to be done at a cost of around ₹450 crores. The redeveloped station would cater to 75,000 passengers per day and will improve the passenger experience by providing modern amenities.
He laid the foundation stone of the modernisation and upgradation of Visakhapatnam Fishing Harbour. The total cost of the project is around ₹150 crore. The fishing harbour, after its upgradation and modernisation, will double the handling capacity to about 300 tonne per day, provide safe landing and berthing and other modern infrastructure facilities reduce turnaround time in the jetty, reduce wastage and help improve price realisation.