Hyderabad, Aug 30 (IANS): Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will lay the foundation stones for the NTPC-BHEL joint venture power plant manufacturing project and the Tirupati International Airport during his one-day visit to Andhra Pradesh's Chittoor district Wednesday.

The NTPC-BHEL project, which is coming up at Mannavaram village near Srikalahasthi, involves an investment of Rs.6,000 crore and proposes to provide direct employment to 6,000 people and indirect employment to 25,000-30,000 people.

The prime minister's visit to lay the foundation stones for the two projects was put off several times during the last one year.

The death of then chief minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy in a helicopter crash in September last year and the subsequent developments forced Manmohan Singh to postpone his visits.

Chief Minister K. Rosaiah Sunday reviewed with senior officials the arrangements for the visit.

Rosaiah said NTPC-BHEL Power Projects Private Limited (NBPPL), a joint venture between National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NRPC) and Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL), would establish a greenfield industry for manufacturing power plant equipment.

The chief minister hoped that the NTPC-BHEL joint venture project would be completed by 2013-14.

It will be the largest public sector investment project in the state after the Vizag steel plant in 1979.