Mission 2017: Akhilesh fast tracking flagship projects

Some of these projects include Lucknow Metro, Agra-Lucknow Expressway, IT City, linking district headquarters with four lane road

With Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav putting major projects on the fast track, development is likely to be the cornerstone for the Samajwadi Party’s bid for reelection in the 2017 Assembly polls.

Yadav aims to have some of these projects — including Lucknow Metro rail, Agra-Lucknow Expressway, IT City and linking district headquarters with four-lane roads — at least partly operational so that his party can show tangible results to the electorate, and prevent a rerun of the drubbing they got in the Lok Sabha polls earlier this year.

Schemes such as free laptop, unemployment dole, Kanya Vidya Dhan — the pre-poll promises of which were credited with providing the boost to the party in the 2012 Assembly election — are likely to be on the back burner for now, as they failed to provide any gains to the Samajwadi Party in the 2014 elections.

Yadav has been quick to make ammends. The foundation of Lucknow Metro rail and IT City project have been laid. The work on acquiring land for the Agra-Lucknow Expressway has been started. Private companies have been given the contract to construct the expressway in five different parcels.

The foundation of IT City was laid on Wednesday by Yadav in the presence of HCL Technologies promoter Shiv Nadar. HCL Group company Vama Sundari Investments is developing the IT hub spread over 100 acres at Chak Ganjariya Farm along the Lucknow-Sultanpur Highway.

On the occasion, Yadav also laid the foundation for an Indian Institute of Information Technology and a state-of-art Medanta Awadh hospital.

The IT City project would have a total investment of Rs 1,500 crore and provide direct employment of 25,000 people, along with indirect employment to around 50,000.

It would have a skill development centre spanning over 10 acres, from which 5,000 students would graduate every year.

HCL Founder Shiv Nadar said the proposed IT City would be a “stellar model” for India, providing both training and employment opportunities at one place.