 "Centre to pump Rs 50,000 cr in to UP road infra")
He said these projects would kick off by the end of 2015. UP Chief minister Akhilesh Yadav has accorded priority to the road sector with the launch of Agra-Lucknow Expressway and the proposals to connect all district headquarters with four-lane and all-weather roads.
Addressing a joint conference with Yadav here, Gadkari underlined the average length of the National Highways (NHs) in UP vis-à-vis population was much less.
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He assured the Centre would take all steps to improve the network of NHs and roads in UP, so as to accelerate the economic activities. In the recent Central Zonal Council meeting here presided over by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, this issue was vehemently raised by the state government represented by Yadav himself.
Currently, UP has an average of 3.9 km of road per lakh population against the national average of 5.6 km per lakh population. This amply shows the paucity of road network in the state, thus impeding both faster transportation and economic progress.
Meanwhile, Gadkari assured the state the road projects outlay could be further raised as per need. He has sought proposals from the state government in this regard, while promising faster clearances of the projects.
He, however, mentioned there were certain irritants in the starting of road projects in UP, including land acquisition and clearance by forest and environment department.
Besides, the Union minister mentioned about the plan to develop waterways as alternative channels of transportation and gave the example of China, which had harnessed the segment. Gadkari claimed waterways were suitable for UP, since it had an extensive network of rivers, which could be used as a cheaper means of transport.