Ensure timely completion of road projects: Nitin Gadkari to UP

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari.

Asking the Uttar Pradesh government to expedite land acquisition for national highways as being done in some of the states, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday told the state to ensure that all the projects are completed on time and with quality work.

Gadkari was speaking at a virtual inauguration and foundation stone-laying ceremony of 16 National Highway projects worth Rs 7,477 crore in Uttar Pradesh.

The Road Transport & Highways Minister also requested the state government to consider halving the utility shifting supervision charge to 2.5 per cent and “exempting toll plaza agreements from stamp duty.”

He also called for quick disbursal of land acquisition compensation for expediting the National Highway projects in the state, the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways said in a statement.

Assuring that funds would not be a hindrance for construction of highways in the state, Gadkari said that with strong connectivity, Uttar Pradesh was moving ahead on the path of development.

He said about 3,700 km NH projects worth Rs 42,000 crore have been added in UP in the last six years. Today, there are over 11,389 km of NHs in the state, and roads worth Rs 1.3 lakh crore are being constructed in UP, he said, adding that as much as Rs 26,000 crore have been disbursed towards land acquisition cost in the state in the last three years.

Taking part in the event from Gorakhpur, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that his government continued with the work on development projects in the state despite the Covid pandemic.

The Chief Minister claimed that a number of highways, which could not be constructed in the state since 65 years of Independence, have been constructed in the past six years.

Among the projects launched included 17.66 km-long four-laning of Gorakhpur bypass with the investment of Rs 866 crore. Foundation stone of widening and beautification of 9-km-long road in Gorakhpur on National Highway 227A near Sikriganj and Gola worth Rs 33.52 crore.

Among other projects, whose foundation stones were laid included road connecting Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh border; road connecting Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand border via Sonbhadra district, widening of a road between Etawah and Auraiya on NH 91A, and roads projects in Mirzapur, Prayagraj, Rampur, Kushinagar etc. The list also included starting of work on 6-lane bridge on National Highway 96 over Ganga from Phaphamau in Prayagraj district.

Inputs from PTI

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