New Delhi, January 20
Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation 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, HM 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.
He 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 N. Chandrababu Naidu, Union Minister of Civil Aviation Shri K. Rammohan Naidu, Union Minister of State for Home Bandi Sanjay Kumar, Home Secretary Govind Mohan, and NDRF Director General Piyush Anand.
HM 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.
He also 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.
He further added 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.
