Akhilesh Yadav on foundation-laying spree as polls near

EC to soon announce code of conduct

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has been on a spree for the past few days, either laying foundations or unveiling infrastructure and development projects just before the model code of conduct comes into force.

The Election Commission is likely to announce Lok Sabha poll dates this week, triggering the model code of conduct until the voting process is over. During such a period, no new government schemes can be announced or unveiled.

In the span of a week, Yadav has laid the foundation of projects estimated to cost several thousand crores, including the Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC), Lucknow Metro Rail Corporation (LMRC), international cricket stadium and the  IT City.

On Monday, Yadav laid the foundation stone of the north-south corridor depot of the LMRC, which is estimated to cost Rs 20,000 crore, when all proposed routes (also comprising the east-west corridor) are completed.

Earlier in the day, Yadav laid the foundation of 27 highway projects of the UP Public Works Department, estimated to cost over Rs 980 crore. He also dedicated 1,820 tubewells for irrigation to the public, constructed at a cost of Rs 307 crore.

On March 2, Yadav had launched the DMIC Project in UP and laid the foundation of the Integrated Industrial Township at Greater Noida.

The 1,483 km DMIC will start from Dadri, UP and terminate at the Jawaharlal Nehru Port, Mumbai. It would cover 12 districts in UP. Infrastructure facilities costing Rs 25,000 crore are projected to be developed by 2040 in pockets touched by the DMIC in UP.

The Integrated Industrial Township is a flagship project under DMIC, with an investment potential of Rs 33,000 crore, spanning 300 hectares in the Dadri-Noida-Ghaziabad Investment Region.

On February 25, Yadav had laid foundation for projects totalling over Rs 2,200 crore, including an IT City (to be developed by HCL) at Chak Ganjaria here, an international stadium-cum-multi-utility sports complex, beautification/development of river Gomti banks etc. The investment in IT City and stadium projects are estimated at Rs 1,500 crore and Rs 400 crore respectively.