Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari (file photo)
Ballia: Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said that Uttar Pradesh will have a road infrastructure like the ones in the US before the end of 2024.
He was speaking at the inauguration ceremony of seven National Highway projects worth Rs 6,500 crore at Chitbadgaon. A new connectivity route between Ballia-Ara through a 28-km new spur road was also announced at the ceremony.
He claimed the state's condition will change and become the leading state in India with the development of roads. He also called upon farmers to become providers of food and energy. "The condition of roads in UP was not good before the year 2014. After the Narendra Modi government came to power, the National Highway has increased from 7,643 km to 13,000 km in the state."
"The villages and the poor will be happy and prosperous in the state. The youth will also get employment and UP will become the leading state in the country. Farmers should become food as well as energy providers and should play a major role in the export of energy," he added.
He noted that with the construction of the Ballia Link Expressway, people can reach Patna from Lucknow through Purvanchal Expressway in just four-and-a-half hours. "Ballia to Buxar can be reached in half an hour, Ballia to Chhapra in one hour, and Ballia to Patna in one-and-a-half hour. With the construction of the Greenfield Highway, eastern UP will get better connectivity with Chhapra, Patna, and Buxar in Bihar. Vegetables of the farmers of Ballia will now reach 'mandis' of Lucknow, Varanasi, and Patna easily"
The new road from Chandauli to Mohania will provide connectivity to Chandauli in Uttar Pradesh and Kaimur district in Bihar through the Delhi-Kolkata GT Road. The minister added that with the construction of Saidpur to Mardah road there will be direct connectivity from Mau to Varanasi via Saidpur. Backward areas of the Azamgarh district are also getting better connectivity.