UP: World Bank may fund core road development project

The World Bank may fund the $570 million Core Road Development Project with a road safety component, in Uttar Pradesh.

Negotiations for the project began in 2013, but could not reach a logical conclusion. Now, the Yogi Adityanath government had taken up the project afresh with the World Bank, sources in the government said.

A World Bank team on Monday held meetings with the officials of PWD, Home and transport departments to discuss various projects that the international institution may fund. Things are expected to take a final shape during a wrap-up meeting to be presided over by the chief secretary here on May 17.

People familiar with the matter said as per the proposal, the World Bank would provide $ 400 million as a soft loan to the state government that would contribute the remaining $170 million.

According to principal secretary, Aradhana Shukla, $60 million was proposed to be spent on various road safety projects.

“Setting up of a highway policing, removing blacks spots, strengthening the road safety cell setting up driving training schools etc are among the road safety projects that the World Bank may fund,” she said.