Uttar Pradesh will have America-like road infra by 2024: Nitin Gadkari

Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Monday said before the end of 2024, Uttar Pradesh will have road infrastructure like in the US and the picture of the state will change with development of roads.

Gadkari said UP will become the leading state in the country and called upon farmers to become a provider of food as well as energy.

Earlier, Gadkari inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of seven National Highway projects worth Rs 6,500 crore at Chitbadgaon here.

"The condition of roads in UP was not good before the year 2014. After the Narendra Modi government came to power, National Highway has increased from 7,643 km to 13,000 km in the state," Gadkari said.

"Before the end of the year 2024, Uttar Pradesh will have road infrastructure like in America. The state is growing very fast and its picture will change with the development of roads. 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," he said.

"Farmers should become food as well as energy providers and should play a major role in the export of energy," he said.

The minister said that with the construction of Ballia Link Expressway, it would be possible to 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 Greenfield Highway, eastern UP will get better connectivity with Chhapra, Patna, Buxar in Bihar," he said.

Vegetables of the farmers of Ballia will now reach 'mandis' of Lucknow, Varanasi and Patna easily, he said.

Gadkari said the new road from Chandauli to Mohania being constructed at a cost of Rs 130 crore will provide connectivity to Chandauli in Uttar Pradesh and Kaimur district in Bihar through the Delhi-Kolkata GT Road.

He said with the construction of Saidpur to Mardah road there will be direct connectivity of Mau to Varanasi via Saidpur.

The minister said due to better connectivity with other cities of the state, economic and social condition of UP will improve as well as backward areas of Azamgarh district will get new connectivity.

On this occasion, Gadkari also announced the new connectivity route between Ballia-Ara through 28-km new spur road at a cost of Rs 1,500 crore.