UP restarts road, bridge projects totalling Rs 31,000 cr as lockdown eases

The state has expedited infra projects to boost economy, create jobs in hinterland

Keeping pace with the gradual easing of the covid-19 lockdown in non-hotspot zones, the Uttar Pradesh government has restarted road and bridge projects totalling more than Rs 31,400 crore so far.

While the revival of these infrastructure projects will foster their timely completion, it will also boost the local economy, especially in the backdrop of the heavy influx of returning migrant workers.

These projects, totalling 1,900, fall under the ambit of the UP public works department (PWD), UP Bridge Corporation and Rajkiya Nirman Nigam (RNN), with total manpower deployment of around 28,000.

“These projects will promote economic development and generate employment opportunities for the labourers, especially migrants,” UP deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya said here. So far, more than 2.5 million migrants have already returned to the state.

He observed road connectivity is key to the fast movement of goods and material across the state, thus playing a major role in sustaining the rural industries and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) at a time when the lockdown has disrupted the general economy to a large extent.

The state PWD department accounts for the lion’s share of 1,539 projects totalling Rs 13,660 crore and employing 19,500 labourers, followed by RNN handling 241 projects costing about Rs 13,260 crore and employing 5,800 labourers. The remaining projects fall under the purview of the UP Bridge Corporation.

“Due to the covid-19 crisis, the state is witnessing a reverse migration of workers and the state government has accorded top priority to providing them with job opportunities. For this reason, we have speeded up the road and bridge projects while following the social distancing norms and the periodic guidelines of the Centre,” Maurya added.

These infra projects had been stopped after lockdown was announced in March 2020. However, the process of resuming the stalled projects was set rolling from April 20 in phases by conforming to the safety and social distancing protocols.

Meanwhile, the Yogi Adityanath government has also expedited three mega expressway projects totalling more than Rs 42,500 crore viz. 340 km Purvanchal Expressway, 296 km Bundelkhand Expressway and 91 km Gorakhpur Link Expressway, which are estimated to cost Rs 23,000 crore, Rs 15,000 crore and Rs 4,600 crore respectively.

Besides, nodal agency UP Expressway Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) is also gearing up to launch another mega Ganga Expressway project soon. It has estimated the civil work and land cost of the proposed 628 km Ganga Expressway at nearly Rs 21,000 crore and Rs 9,000 crore respectively, thus totalling Rs 30,000 crore. The estimates will be put before the state cabinet.

Chairing a review meeting here recently, chief minister Adityanath directed senior official to top gear the proposed 16 lane Ganga Expressway project, which will link 12 districts between Prayagraj (Allahabad) and Meerut.