With eye on LS polls, UP to launch projects worth Rs 340 bn in Bundelkhand

Before the bugle is sounded for Lok Sabha polls 2019, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking reelection against a united Opposition, the Yogi Adityanath government will lay the foundation of mega-infrastructure projects totalling Rs 340 billion in the Bundelkhand region.  

These projects are the Bundelkhand Expressway and Bundelkhand Defence Corridor, with respective investment profiles of almost Rs 140 billion and Rs 200 billion, including land costs.  

With poll dates drawing nearer, the Adityanath government is burning the midnight oil to complete the necessary groundwork for laying their foundation before the election model code of conduct comes into force. After reviewing the progress of the proposed expressway project, the chief minister directed officials to acquire 70 per cent of the land within the next two months so that it could be launched before March 2019.   

The mega project, which was originally proposed during the previous Akhilesh Yadav regime, is expected to cost Rs 140 billion, including land cost of Rs 30 billion and civil works totalling Rs 110 billion. In fact, the district magistrates of Mahoba and Chitrakoot have been directed to expedite land acquisition in right earnest.

The 293-kilometre expressway will primarily connect the economically-backwards and dry zone of Bundelkhand and span Jhansi, Chitrakoot, Banda, Hamirpur, Jalaun, Auraiya and Etawah districts. UP Expressways and Industrial development authority (UPEDA) is the nodal agency for the project. 

Earlier, the Adityanath government had eased norms to speed up projects in the backdrop of land acquisition hurdles stalling about 350 infrastructure and industrial development projects in UP. Under new norms, the state rescinded the stipulation of paying four times the prevailing market value/circle rate for acquiring 'gram sabha' land for development projects, which was prevalent under the erstwhile norms enforced in 2015. 

Meanwhile, another mega project, the Bundelkhand Defence Corridor, is also in the pipeline and is estimated to attract Rs 200 billion in investments. The state government has identified over 5,000 hectares of land in Aligarh, Agra, Jhansi, Kanpur, Lucknow and Chitrakoot, comprising the six nodes of the proposed corridor, which is meant to make UP one of the top defence manufacturing states. Acquisition of land for the corridor is also expected to start within the next two months, starting with Jhansi, Jalaun and Kanpur. 

In fact, the government is hosting the 'UP Defence Expo 2018' in Kanpur between November 14 and November 16. Top Union defence ministry officials and representatives of public sector defence manufacturing arms will participate in the three-day event. 

Invites have been sent to all the embassies, especially the countries with which India enjoys close defence cooperation, like the US, Russia, Israel, France and Italy, among others. All top domestic defence manufacturers, including the Tata Group, L&T and Mahindra, among others, have been invited to participate in the expo, which will showcase UP as a preferred defence manufacturing destination in India.