"I am extremely happy to be here in Andhra Pradesh to lay the foundation stone for the four‑laning of NH-7. NH-7 is an extremely important highway which connects Nagpur via Hyderabad to Bangalore. It is indeed one of the foremost national highways in the country.

The four-laning of this highway will not only make the movement of vehicles far more convenient but will also change the fortunes of the regions and areas through which it passes. In Andhra Pradesh, the residents of the districts of Hyderabad, Rangareddy, Mahboobnagar, Kurnool, Nizamabad, Adilabad and Anantapur are going to benefit greatly from the four‑laning of this road. On completion of this project, the agricultural produce of this fertile region will find new markets; there will be an increase in industrial growth of the region; and, lakhs of new job opportunities will be created. I foresee a time in the not too distant future when every small town and locality through which this road passes will start taking a modern form which you currently see in the great metropolis of Hyderabad.

Ladies & Gentlemen,

Andhra Pradesh is an extremely important State for the UPA Government in Delhi. It is the love and affection and support of the people of Andhra Pradesh that has made the UPA Government strong and successful. We are grateful to the Telugu people for this and we will leave no stone unturned in working for their rapid progress.

Today India is developing at a rapid pace. A growth rate of 8‑9% which was not considered feasible a few years ago is not only possible now but we can hope to grow at 10% in the near future. With such rapid growth, it is our expectation that in the coming 10‑20 years, we will be in a position to remove the ancient scourges of poverty, illiteracy and unemployment from our country. You can yourself look around you and see the work in progress on the road construction programme, on irrigation projects and on power projects. Lakhs of workers are employed on these works. On completion, these projects will lead to an increase in our agricultural production; an increase in our industrial growth; and a complete change in the prospects for the country.

Ladies & Gentlemen,

Your dynamic Chief Minister, Dr. Rajasekhara Reddy ji is a leader endowed with foresight and vision. The massive irrigation programme which he has initiated under the name Jalayagyam has the goal of taking irrigation to each and every corner of the State. Sir Arthur Cotton created a miracle in the Godavari delta 150 years ago. Walking on the same path, Dr. Rajasekhara Reddy wants to repeat the miracle across the entire State. In Telengana. In Rayalseema. In coastal Andhra. He is trying to take all regions of this great state towards a bright irrigated future. I am confident that through his efforts, Telengana, which was one of the more backward regions in the context of irrigation, is going to be one of the leading regions.

Further, the work being done by the Government of Andhra Pradesh in giving land to the landless, in organizing women SHGs for increasing their incomes, in providing better educational and health facilities in rural areas and in providing electricity for all, is truly commendable. We are not only proud of the work of the State but are going to extend all possible assistance for the success of these programmes.

Ladies & Gentlemen,

Today, the nation needs first‑rate infrastructure. We have expanded the NHAI's road programme to a Rs.2,20,000 crore programme - a figure unimaginable even three years ago. The vast majority of roads are being built on a BOT basis using the Public Private Partnership model. Expressways are being built. The Golden Quadrilateral is being six-laned. The state of Andhra Pradesh is also a beneficiary of this programme. 2,500 kilometers of national highways in the State are going to be four-laned of which work on 1,200 kms has already been completed. This will greatly benefit the economy of the State and improve the quality of living of its people. In addition to roads, we have also begun work on new railway projects, airports and ports. Andhra Pradesh is a major beneficiary in all these initiatives with new airports and ports coming up rapidly. Andhra Pradesh can hope to be one of the most developed states in the country in a few years time and we will make all efforts to make this vision a reality. We will work together with Dr. Rajasekhara Reddy ji and under the guidance of Smt Sonia Gandhiji to take Andhra Pradesh to a new era.

Ladies & Gentlemen,

I would like to congratulate my friend and colleague Shri T.R. Baalu for imparting a new sense of dynamism to NHAI. I hope that he will leave an indelible imprint on the history of our road development programme. I compliment all the officers and staff of NHAI for their hard work and expect that they will continue to work to build better roads in a timely manner within estimated costs.

I am visiting your state on the eve of the Golden Jubilee of the State's formation. I convey my best wishes to the people of Andhra Pradesh, to the Telugu people, and wish you all a great future of peace, progress and prosperity.

Jai Hind."