Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for nearly 300 km long Bundelkhand Expressway on Saturday afternoon at Chitrakoot in Uttar Pradesh and said it will play a vital role in expediting the work for the defence corridor and also boost the economy of the backward region.
The Expressway is to be built at a cost of nearly Rs 15,000 crore and it will connect the Bundelkhand region to the national capital region in the north. It will pass through Chitrakoot, Banda, Hamirpur and Jalaun districts and is expected to also transform Mahoba, Auraiya and Etawah districts in the state of Uttar Pradesh.
“ Bundelkhand Expressway, Poorvanchal Expressway or proposed Ganga Expressway, they will not only improve connectivity in UP, but will also create employment opportunities,” said the Prime Minister
The expressway will also serve the Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor announced by the Central government in February 2018 and is a welcome infrastructure addition, he added.
“A provision of Rs 3,700 crore has been made in the union budget this year for the UP defence corridor. This expressway will also speed up the work for establishing the UP defence corridor,” Modi said.
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath said a few days ago at a Lucknow event organised by livehindustan that the Bundelkhand expressway along with two others, was part of his government’s overall strategy to create infrastructure required to make the state a $3 trillion economy in line with PM Modi’s vision to catapult Indian into a $5 trillion economy by 2022.
This expressway will link the water parched Bundelkhand region, which is also among the most backward in the country with the national capital of Delhi via Agra-Lucknow Expressway and Yamuna Expressway.
“Expressways were earlier seen only in metros but now, even residents of towns can also benefit from them,” the PM was quoted as saying.
The prime minister added that the region will also benefit from his flagship ‘Jal Jiwan Mission’ that aims to provide running water connectivity to 15 crore families by 2022 apart from promoting water conservation.
“Work to supply water to around 15 crore families in the next five years has begun in right earnest. It will be implemented on priority in the Aspirational Districts,” the PM said.
Uttar Pradesh goes to elections next year in 2021.
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