Yogi's Highways Of Progress

The quick spread of a network of expressways through Uttar Pradesh shows the importance these bringers of development have for the BJP state government

- Prashant Srivastava

The sound of roadroll­ ers, asphalt mixers, trucks and the buzz of teams of labourers are sweeping across Uttar Pradesh, as the Yogi Adityanath gov­ernment pushes the construction of more roads at a greater pace than ever before. The unremitt­ ing focus on road development clearly means it’s high on the agenda for the state government. Indeed, a veri­ table web of asphalt is fast threading through the state—some expressways, highways and connecting links are ready for a roll, others are approach­ ing completion. Behind all the frenetic activity lies the recognition that roads are a vital part of infrastructure, and are essential carriers of progress that a nation cannot do without.

With the inauguration of the Bundelkhand expressway, UP got its sixth such operational artery. The state government claims that UP will have 12 expressways spanning over 3,000 km, more than any other state. Of the 12, six are operational, while work is under way on others. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 296 km long expressway in Jalaun on July 16. Running between Chitrakoot and Etawah, it was completed eight months ahead of schedule—a result of con­tinual monitoring by the CM himself as well as top officers of Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA), say government officials. The access­controlled (entry and exit are regulated) network is being developed by UPEIDA, the agency set up to steer the expressway expansion programme in 2007.