PM Modi inaugurates Bundelkhand Expressway in UP, says 'Modi-Yogi government will...'

Jalaun (Uttar Pradesh): Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the Bundelkhand Expressway in Jalaun, Uttar Pradesh. Earlier, UP CM Yogi Adityanath had said that this is a historic day when the 296 km long Bundelkhand Expressway is being inaugurated. "This will add a new dimension to the economy of Bundelkhand & of state. The expressway will go through 7 districts and then connect with Agra- Lucknow expressway," said Adityanath.

After inaugurating the e-way, PM Modi said, "The expressway will ensure seamless connectivity and further economic progress in the region. With this expressway, there will be an industrial boom in the region. The Modi-Yogi government will take development not just to cities but to villages." He added, "If two things - law and order situation and connectivity were to be corrected, I knew this (UP) would become a state that can fight against all odds. We improved both. Law and order situation is improving, so is the connectivity."

Bundelkhand expressway: The places it will cover

The expressway starts near Bharatkoop in Chitrakoot district and merges with the Agra-Lucknow expressway near Kudrail village in Etawah district. It covers the seven districts of Chitrakoot, Banda, Mahoba, Hamirpur, Jalaun, Aurraiya, and Etawah. The road has crossings over several rivers: Bagen, Ken, Shyama, Chandawal, Birma, Yamuna, Betwa, and Sengar.

Bundelkhand Expressway: The cost of the project 

The 296 km four-lane Expressway has been constructed at a cost of around Rs 14,850 crore, under the aegis of Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA), and can later be expanded up to six lanes as well.

How will Bundelkhand expressway boost regional connectivity?

The Bundelkhand expressway is one of the major links improving the connectivity in the state. Because of the four-lane expressway, the journey between Delhi and Chitrakoot, which takes 9-10 hours, can now be completed in around 6 hours, as per estimations. The Bundelkhand expressway is also crucial to the success of the upcoming Uttar Pradesh defence corridor project.

In the Banda and Jalaun districts, construction on an industrial corridor has also started. The western, central, and Bundelkhand parts of the state include more than 5,071 hectares of the Rs 20,000 crore defence corridor project.

Six of the state's 13 expressways, totalling 3,200 km, are in use, and seven more are under construction. Highway and expressway corridors are becoming industrial areas. The air force is developing airstrips for use in emergencies.

Modi government's boost to connectivity

The Modi government has focused greatly on connectivity and infrastructure, officials said. The budgetary allocation of Rs 1.99 lakh crore for the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways in Budget 2022-23 is the highest ever. This is a jump of over 550 per cent when compared to the allocation of about Rs 30,300 crore in 2013-14.

In the last seven years, the length of National Highways in the country has gone up by more than 50 per cent from 91,287 km (as of April 2014) to around 1,41,000 km (as of December 31, 2021).The foundation stone for the construction of the Bundelkhand Expressway was laid by the Prime Minister on February 29, 2020. The work on the Expressway has been completed within 28 months.

(With ANI inputs)