PM to lay foundation stone for Poorvanchal Expressway in mid July

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to visit Uttar Pradesh in mid-July to lay the foundation stone for the ambitious Poorvanchal Expressway at Azamgarh.

This would be the Prime Minister’s second visit to UP within a fortnight after his Maghar trip on June 28, where he participated at a function held on Nirvan Diwas of Sant Kabir.

Officials said that the date of his visit was not yet fixed but was likely between July 14 and 16. “We have sought permission from the PMO for the date even as all preparations for the laying of the foundation stone have been completed. By that date, the Government will also complete the process of selecting companies, who could construct the 340-km Expressway between Lucknow and Ghazipur,” the official said.

This would be the second foundation stone laying of the Expressway, with the first one being done about a year-and-a-half back during the Samajwadi Party regime. The SP had named it as Samajwadi Expressway but the present Government re-christened it as Poorvanchal Expressway.

Tenders for the Poorvanchal Expressway would be opened on July 6,  and by July 10, all processes to award tenders to private builders would be completed. The Expressway would be constructed in eight clusters in 36 months. The state government is expected to spend around Rs 11,800 crore for the project.

A Government official claimed that 93 per cent of the proposed land has been acquired. In some districts like Azamgarh and Lucknow, the acquisition process has been slow and DMs of these districts have been asked to expedite the process.