Nellore: Dr Harshavardhan, Union minister for science & technology & earth sciences has laid the foundation stone for the seafront facility of National Institute of Technology at Tupili village in Vakadu mandal of SPSR Nellore district on Saturday.
 
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, Union minister M. Naidu, Union minister for urban development M Venkaiah Naidu, AP urban development minister Dr P. Narayana were present. Dr Harshavardhan said that the NIOT project is going to be very useful for the region as well for the country. He said that fishermen community will benefit immensely from the research.
 
Later addressing a public meeting at Vidya Nagar in Kota mandal, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu said that he would fight till the special category status given to the state and added that there is no need to worry about this.
 
He expressed confidence that the Centre will keep up all the assurances given to the state at the time of bifurcation of the state and added that the Centre was already extending its co-operation to the state.
 
When the reporters asked what steps the government has taken to improve the standard of living of fishermen, the CM replied that the government will prepare a plan to improve their standard of living. He assured that the government will develop Dugarajapatnam Port.
 
He further said that the government has taken steps to construct tsunami centre in Vakadu mandal which is useful for the fishermen and added that construction of this centre will complete within three-years.
 
Union minister for civil aviation Ashok Gajapati Raju, Union minister of state for science and technology Sujana Chowdary, and AP ministers Dr Kamineni Srinivas and Bojjala Gopalakrishna Reddy were present.