Gadkari clears road projects worth Rs 50,000-60,000 crore for UP: Adityanath

Lucknow, Jul 13 (PTI) Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has approved road infrastructure projects worth Rs 50,000-60,000 crore for Uttar Pradesh, including proposals to strengthen north-south connectivity, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Monday. Addressing a function after the inauguration and foundation-laying of national highway projects worth over Rs 4,850 crore, Adityanath said, "Today, Gadkari has also approved road projects worth Rs 50,000-60,000 crore. While Uttar Pradesh already has excellent east-west connectivity through the Purvanchal, Ganga, Bundelkhand, Agra-Lucknow and Gorakhpur Link expressways, new areas have now been identified to strengthen north-south connectivity." "He has also approved bypasses for cities with a population of over five lakh and four-lane connectivity to every district headquarters in the state," the CM said. Thanking Gadkari and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Adityanath said the approvals would significantly strengthen Uttar Pradesh's road network and further accelerate economic growth. The chief minister said Uttar Pradesh had undergone a remarkable transformation over the past decade. "Ten years ago, Uttar Pradesh was facing an identity crisis. There was neither policy nor direction. The state had become synonymous with riots and mafia rule and was counted among the BIMARU states," he said. Today, Uttar Pradesh is no longer a BIMARU state. It has become a growth engine of India's economy, Adityanath added. He attributed the transformation to the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying Uttar Pradesh had emerged as a model of good governance, better security and world-class infrastructure. The chief minister said the state now had an integrated transport network comprising roads, railways, metro rail, airports and inland waterways. Praising Gadkari, Adityanath said, "In Nitin Gadkari's dictionary, there is no word called 'no' when it comes to infrastructure development." He also credited the Union minister with transforming India's road infrastructure and recalled that the country's first inland waterway between Varanasi and Haldia was launched under Gadkari's leadership. Referring to the inauguration of the 63-km Lucknow-Kanpur Greenfield Expressway, Adityanath said it would not only improve connectivity between the state's two largest metropolitan cities but also strengthen the proposed State Capital Region by linking Lucknow with Barabanki, Sitapur, Hardoi, Unnao and Rae Bareli. "This is not merely an expressway. It is a highway that will increase our speed, accelerate our progress and open the doors to future prosperity," he said. The chief minister noted that the inauguration followed the opening of the Ganga Expressway by Prime Minister Modi on April 29 and the inauguration of the Noida International Airport at Jewar on March 28, saying the projects reflected the rapid pace of infrastructure development in the state. Adityanath said the state, which once struggled with poor roads, now had the country's largest network of operational expressways, one of the largest railway networks, the highest number of operational metro systems and rapidly expanding airport infrastructure. "The positive support of the people has accelerated this development process. It is this momentum that has removed Uttar Pradesh's BIMARU image and established the state as a growth engine of the Indian economy," he said. The event was attended by Uttar Pradesh Assembly Speaker Satish Mahana, Deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak, besides several MPs and senior officials. PTI KIS NB