Modi dedicates Rs 23,000 crore Purvanchal Expressway

Virendra Singh Rawat

Lucknow / Nov 16, 2021

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday dedicated to public the 341 km Purvanchal Expressway that cuts across nine districts in Eastern Uttar Pradesh.

It entailed an investment of about Rs 23,000 crore. Modi arrived in Sultanpur district for the inauguration ceremony aboard an Indian Air Force (IAF) Hercules aircraft and landed on the Purvanchal Expressway airstrip. An air show comprising IAF fighter jets viz. Mirage and Sukhoi was also held.

Addressing the gathering, the PM clubbed prosperity and national security, while he flayed the previous governments for doing precious little to enhance the country’s defence capabilities.

He observed Purvanchal Expressway will facilitate the emergency landing of fighter jets. “The air show will scare those elements who have neglected our defence capability needs for decades.”

The expressway spans Lucknow, Barabanki, Amethi, Ayodhya, Sultanpur, Ambedkar Nagar, Azamgarh, Mau and Ghazipur. It will connect the socioeconomically laggard Eastern UP (Purvanchal) region to the National Capital Region (NCR) via Agra-Lucknow Expressway and Greater Noida-Agra Yamuna Expressway.

Modi noted good connectivity was vital for industrial development. “The expressway, which has cost more than Rs 22,000 crore, will spur investment to the tune of several lakh of rupees and create lakhs of job opportunities.”

At present, four expressway projects totalling Rs 80,000 crore have been undertaken by the Yogi Adityanath government. These comprise 341 km Purvanchal Expressway, 296 km Bundelkhand Expressway, 91 km Gorakhpur Link Expressway and 600 km Ganga Expressway.

“We need balanced development for ensuring composite development and to alleviate disparities between different regions. The Purvanchal Expressway will put UP on the path of faster development, enhance its stature and spur all round growth in different sectors,” Modi said.

In his address, UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath said the project was completed in record time despite pandemic. “We are giving due importance to improving the infrastructure including roads, expressways, metro trains etc. UP will play a vital role in realising the PM’s vision of propelling India as the world’s leading economy.”