Union Surface Transport and Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari has assured Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav that Rs.50,000 crore-worth road projects would be started in the State by December. He said “we [the BJP government at the Centre] don’t want to mix politics with development… politics is different, development different,” even as he promised the Centre’s assistance for U.P.’s development.
The Union Minister said steps would be taken to develop inland water transport in Uttar Pradesh. With 65,000 km of canal length and many rivers, Uttar Pradesh stood to gain the maximum advantage from inland waterways. “Work on developing 12 terminals on the Varanasi-Haldia waterway on the Ganga will start soon.”
The “Pradhan Mantri Jalmarg Yojana” would be launched soon, Mr. Gadkari said and added a Bill on inland waterways would be brought in the next Parliament session for developing 101 riverways. “All the rivers of U.P. have been included,” he said.
He refrained from commenting on his statement — “Ram Bhakton ki sarkar [Ram Bhakts’ government] — made in Faizabad on Tuesday, while laying the foundation stone for Ayodhya-Janakpur [in Nepal] and Ayodhya-Chitrakoot highways. While the first had been named as “Ram-Janki” highway, the other was called “Ram Vangaman Marg.”
To persistent queries from presspersons, Mr. Gadkari refused to comment on his remark. “This is not the appropriate forum,” he said.
About the concerns expressed by Mr. Akhilesh Yadav and Public Works Department Minister Shivpal Singh Yadav over the quality of roads and the national highways, the Surface Transport Minister admitted that the condition of roads in the State was not good.
The Minister said Rs. 1,687 crore-worth road projects would be cleared within a month. Mr. Gadkari expressed his inability to increase the funds allocated for the maintenance of national highways. He, however, agreed to help the State to overcome cost restraints, by investment through public-private partnership in highway projects.
Addressing the joint press meet, the Chief Minister said the country’s economic progress was linked to the State’s development.
Earlier, Mr. Gadkari reviewed the progress of various road projects. He later performed the “bhumi-pujan” of Barabanki-Jarwal, Jarwal-Bahraich, Bahraich-Nanpara and Nanpara-Rupaideeha road projects at Barabanki.
