Mission 2017: UP road infra sector in overdrive

60 district headquarters to be linked with 4-lane roads this fiscal

In a major boost to road infrastructure in Uttar Pradesh, which is a top priority area for the ruling Samajwadi Party (SP), almost 80% of the district headquarters in the state are projected to be linked through four-lane roads by the end of this fiscal.

So far, 50 of the total 75 districts in UP have been linked with four-lane road network by the Public Works Department (PWD) and National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).

Similar projects are underway in Chitrakoot, Deoria, Balrampur, Lakhimpur Kheri, Hardoi and Gonda. Besides, NHAI has assured the state government of completing the works in Banda, Amethi and Pilibhit within 2016 calendar. This way, total 60 districts are estimated to be linked during 2016-17.
 

Apart from these projects, the SP government’s flagship Agra-Lucknow Expressway, estimated to cost Rs 15,000 crore, is expected to be completed by October 2016.

For the proposed Lucknow-Ballia Purvanchal Expressway, pegged at about Rs 18,000 crore, the project consultant has been tasked with presenting the feasibility report and cost estimate soon. The state has already urged the Centre to provide financial aid of Rs 5,000 crore for the Expressway.

For roads and highways projects, the state government has made provision of over Rs 28,600 crore in its budget for fiscal 2016-17.

The ruling SP and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is in power at the centre, would spar on the roads and highways sector in run up to the 2017 UP polls to establish their agenda of development.

During his Lucknow visit earlier this year, union road transport, highways and shipping minister Nitin Gadkari had announced National Highways (NH) projects worth almost Rs 45,000 crore were underway in UP and additional road projects of about Rs 55,000 crore would be launched during 2016-17.

In this manner, road projects worth over Rs 1,00,000 crore are either underway or planned in UP. These projects would comprise NH, state highways (SH), expressways, district roads, rural roads etc.

In the last two years, the Centre has completed 8 road projects of 865 km in UP worth Rs 6,218 crore, while 31 road projects of 2,156 km worth Rs 20,000 are on the ground. Likewise, the process of handing over 15 road projects of 840 km worth Rs 6,800 crore to contractors is underway.

Detailed Project Report (DPR) for additional projects of 1,400 km worth Rs 14,000 crore are being prepared. These would be handed over the contractors in the next two years.