The Union Minister for Road Transport Highways and Shipping Nitin Gadkari has promised to build roads worth 2 lakh crores before 2019 polls. Mr Gadkari, who was on a visit to cities in eastern UP, met Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and discussed pending issues and their solutions. Foundation stones for projects worth Rs 6,517 crores were laid. Gadkari claimed that within two months Prime Minister Narendra Modi would lay the foundation stone of Kane-Betwa River linking project. As per reports, the issue between Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh has been resolved. This project would change Bundelkhand and is supposed to start in two months. The centrally funded (90%) project would cost about Rs 28,000 crore. Waterway and Highway projects worth crores have been laid.
Highway Projects
Seven National Highway projects totalling 246 kilometres in length have been given a nod. Foundation stone was laid for widening and strengthening 21.12 km long Ramnagar-Siswa Babu section of NH 730 at a cost of Rs 193 crore. By the same token, widening of 15 km long Deoria Byepass section of NH 727 A at a cost of Rs 600 crore and 27.75 km long Kaptanganj-Padrauna section of NH 730 at a cost of Rs 275 crore have been initiated. In addition are the widening and strengthening of 65.38 km long Ghazipur-Mau section of NH 29 at a cost of Rs 3,580 crore, Hridaypur -Tikri Buzurg section of NH 97 and 56.2 km long Ghazipur-Jamania- Sayyadraja section of national highways. Other projects worth Rs 60,000 crores, including Lucknow Bypass, are already in development. Uttar Pradesh Government has received a sum of Rs 10,000 crore from Central Road Fund.
Water Projects
Kumbh Mela is highly revered by people across India. Keeping this in view his ministry has planned the extension of Varanasi-Haldia waterways project to Allahabad. Likewise, a 2000-crore bridge spanning over Ganga in Allahabad has been sanctioned. Additionally, there an Intermodal Terminal on National Waterways -I (River Ganga) being constructed in Ghazipur. In fact, the Jal Marg Vikas Project with aid from the World Bank is doing the project. Not to mention that this will boost the intermodal transportation facility for cargo.