‘Where potholes start, Uttar Pradesh begins’—this was said about the country’s largest state not so long ago. Then Narendra Modi took over as the Prime Minister in 2014 and Yogi Adityanath as the chief minister of UP in 2017. Under the guidance of Prime Minister Modi, the vision of ‘New Uttar Pradesh of New India’ has been turned into a reality by Adityanath.
The Uttar Pradesh government is striving to provide connectivity everywhere under ‘Har Ghar, Har Gaon, Har Janpad’. The Purvanchal Expressway, which Narendra Modi inaugurates on November 16, is a major feat in this direction. It will play a big role in the development of Purvanchal, a backward region of the state.
The Expressway comes after several other achievements: setting up of AIIMS in Gorakhpur, revival of the fertilizer factory in Gorakhpur, a door-to-door gas pipeline, and the recently inaugurated Kushinagar International Airport. The Purvanchal Expressway will not be just a road; it will be a catalyst of accelerated development in the region, as it will boost investment, industrialization, and employment generation.
The Bundelkhand Expressway and the Ganga Expressway are also expected to yield rich dividends. The 340-km long Purvanchal Expressway will give a new impetus to the development of eastern Uttar Pradesh. Presently, the Expressway has six lanes, which can be expanded to eight. It will pass through the districts of Lucknow, Barabanki, Amethi, Ayodhya, Sultanpur, Ambedkar Nagar, Azamgarh, Mau and Ghazipur.
This is also connected with the Agra-Lucknow Expressway and the Yamuna Expressway, through which the connectivity to Delhi will become easier. The Purvanchal Expressway is also being connected with the Varanasi-Azamgarh Highway through a separate link road.
The Gorakhpur Link Expressway is also being constructed, which will connect Gorakhpur district with the Purvanchal Expressway in Azamgarh district. Upon completion of the 17-km long, 4-lane wide Buxar-Ghazipur elevated road (from Bharauli in Buxar to Hydaria in Ghazipur), Lucknow will be directly connected to Ara and Patna in Bihar via the Purvanchal Expressway and the national highway.
The Purvanchal Expressway has been completed by the Yogi government in record time despite two major COVID-19 waves. A 3.2 km-long air strip has also been built on the Expressway in Sultanpur. It can be used by the Indian Air Force to land or fly fighter aircraft during any emergency.
There is a plan to develop industrial hubs on either sides of the Expressway. The Kushinagar Airport, along with the Purvanchal Expressway and other link roads, will also help revive the Buddhist tourist circuit for domestic as well as international tourists.
Connectivity can do wonders, not just for the big companies but also cottage industries, which can find it easier to access markets. The local black pottery, the traditional jute products can find it easier to travel across the country. Already, local products and handicrafts are gaining popularity, thanks to the ‘One District-One Product’ scheme.
Travelling through the Purvanchal Expressway even at night will be safe because elaborate security arrangements have been put in place. Police outposts have been constructed at various places along the Expressway. Several flyovers, railway over-bridges, toll plazas, ramp plazas and underpasses have been constructed on the main carriageway.
When Yogi Adityanath took over the reins of the state, he had resolved to fulfil the mantra of ‘Sabka Saath-Sabka Vikas’. He has delivered, with the Purvanchal Expressway being an important milestone. When PM Modi inaugurates the Expressway on November 16, it will be a historic day not only for Purvanchal but the entire state.
Apart from the Purvanchal Expressway, UP today boasts of the Bundelkhand Expressway, the Gorakhpur Link Expressway, the Ganga Expressway, and the Ballia Link Expressway. This is the reason why Uttar Pradesh is now also called the ‘Expressway State’.
The BJP government is making ceaseless efforts towards all-round development of the state. Uttar Pradesh has prospered under the guidance of Prime Minister Modi and under the leadership of chief minister Adityanath. People of UP now see what real development means.
The author is a senior columnist and Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, DDU Gorakhpur University. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not represent the stand of this publication.
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