Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Monday said that before the end of 2024, Uttar Pradesh will have road infrastructure like America and the development of roads will change the face of the state. Gadkari said that UP would become the leading state of the country and called upon the farmers to become the provider of food as well as energy.
Earlier, Gadkari inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for seven national highway projects worth Rs 6,500 crore at Chitbargaon here. Gadkari said, “The condition of roads in UP was not good before the year 2014. After the Narendra Modi government came to power, the national highways in the state have increased from 7,643 km to 13,000 km.”
“Before the end of the year 2024, Uttar Pradesh will have road infrastructure like America. The state is developing very fast and with the development of roads its picture will change. The villages and the poor in the state will be happy and prosperous.” Youth will also get employment and UP will become the leading state of the country.
“Farmers should become food as well as energy providers and play a major role in energy exports,” he added. The minister said that with the construction of Ballia Link Expressway, it would be possible to reach Patna from Lucknow via Purvanchal Expressway in four and a half hours.
Ballia to Buxar can be reached in half an hour, Ballia to Chhapra in one hour and Ballia to Patna in one and half hour. Eastern UP will get better connectivity from Chhapra, Patna with the formation of Greenfield Highway. Buxar in Bihar,” he said.
He said that the vegetables of the farmers of Ballia would now be easily accessible in the mandis of Lucknow, Varanasi and Patna. Gadkari said that the new road from Chandauli to Mohania to be built at a cost of Rs 130 crore will connect Chandauli in Uttar Pradesh and Kaimur district of Bihar with the Delhi-Kolkata GT Road.
He said that with the construction of Saidpur to Mardah road, there will be direct connection from Mau to Varanasi via Saidpur. The minister said that better connectivity with other cities of the state will improve the economic and social condition of UP, as well as new connectivity will be provided to the backward areas of Azamgarh district.
On this occasion, Gadkari also announced a new link road between Ballia-Ara through a 28 km long new spur road at a cost of Rs 1500 crore.