Kakinada: Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan on Thursday called upon citizens to stand united to thwart both external and internal forces seeking to destabilise the nation, thereby safeguarding democracy and national integrity.

Participating as chief guest at the 79th Independence Day celebrations at the Police Parade Ground here, the Deputy CM — who holds the panchayat raj, rural development, rural water supply, environment, forests, and science and technology portfolios — hoisted the national flag and received the guard of honour from the police and NCC contingents.

In his address, Pawan said India’s freedom was won through immense sacrifices, and that Independence Day should be celebrated not as a ritual, but with a sense of responsibility to protect the nation. Stable law and order, he stressed, was crucial for attracting investments and ensuring overall development.

He said strong law and order is crucial to attract investments, while stable governance is essential for development and public welfare. ”Law and order must be strong for investments to come and stable governance is essential for development and welfare.”

Highlighting the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, he reaffirmed the government’s commitment to implementing the Super Six guarantees and other welfare schemes. Under the Thalliki Vandanam programme, Rs 8,745 crore had been deposited into the accounts of 67.27 lakh mothers, while one crore gas cylinders had been distributed under the Deepam scheme in two phases. Over the next five years, the scheme will provide three free cylinders annually, costing Rs 13,427 crore.

Pawan announced a sharp hike in funds for national festival celebrations in panchayats — from Rs 100 to Rs 10,000 for minor panchayats and from Rs 250 to Rs 25,000 for major panchayats — enhancing the role and dignity of sarpanches. He lauded the state’s achievement of holding village assemblies simultaneously in all 13,326 panchayats, advancing the goal of “village self-rule.”

To boost forest cover from 30 per cent to 37 per cent, one crore saplings have been planted and are being tracked through QR codes. He also cited the resolution of elephant attack issues by deploying ‘kunki’ elephants from Karnataka, and the launch of 61 tourism projects in Araku with a budget of Rs 1,022 crore.

On his Pithapuram constituency, he said Rs 308 crore had already been spent on development works to transform it into a model constituency, with more projects planned over the next four years.

The event featured police and departmental floats, cultural performances by school students, and the presentation of awards to officials, staff, and volunteers. Pawan also laid the foundation stone for the Rs 6-crore Red Cross Cancer Block at Kakinada Government General Hospital, funded through CSR contributions.

The celebrations were attended by Deputy CM’s wife Anna Lezhneva, senior officials, legislators, and public representatives from across the district.