UP CM Adityanath paving 2022 path with Rs 80,000-cr expressway work

The state government is looking at throwing open these expressways for the public before the 2022 poll bugle is sounded

“Double the speed, triple the economy” was an oft-repeated cliché of ex-Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav during his media interactions to stress the importance of the big road and expressway projects undertaken during his tenure (2012-17) for speedy socio-economic development.
 
Now with mega expressway projects totalling almost Rs 80,000 crore, his successor and incumbent Yogi Adityanath is treading the same line.
 
While Yadav’s gamble of betting big on infrastructure projects failed to propel him back to power in the 2017 UP polls, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is confident of winning the support of the people in the 2022 elections on the back of mega expressway projects that crisscross the rural and urban landscape of the state, especially the laggard Central UP, Eastern UP, and Bundelkhand regions.

 

The key expressway projects currently underway are the 340-km Purvanchal Expressway (an estimated cost of Rs 23,000 crore), 296-km Bundelkhand Express-way (Rs 15,000 crore), 91-km Gorakhpur Link Express-way (Rs 5,800 crore), and 628-km Ganga Express-way (Rs 36,000 crore).
 
These flagship projects are being piloted by the UP Expressway Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) by awarding concessionaire agreement to successful bidders. The bidding process of the Ganga Expressway is, however, due and awaiting the state Cabinet nod.
 
Work on these projects had come to an abrupt standstill during the initial weeks of the Covid-19 lockdown, which was imposed on March 25. But, work resumed gradually April onwards in non-containment zones, before going full throttle when lockdown norms were relaxed.

The state government is targeting to either throw open these expressways for the public or complete a major portion of the civil work before the 2022 poll bugle is sounded.

UP Industrial Development Minister Satish Mahana observed these expressways would boost the local socio-economic landscape in their respective regions by providing faster road connectivity. “These projects will evoke positive sentiment among the people of the state,” he told Business Standard.
 
Purvanchal Expressway
 
Involving total land acquisition of nearly 4,330 hectare, the Purvanchal Expressway has been divided into eight packages and awarded to different companies for ensuring a time-bound completion. It runs across nine districts — Lucknow, Barabanki, Faizabad, Ambedkarnagar, Amethi, Sultanpur, Azamgarh, Mau, and Ghazipur. It will provide seamless connectivity between the backward eastern UP districts to the National Capital Region (NCR) via the already operational Agra-Lucknow Expressway and Agra-Greater Noida Yamuna Expressway.

 
It will also have an emergency airstrip for Indian Air Force (IAF) jets at Sultanpur.
 
Bundelkhand Expressway
 
This expressway will link Chitrakoot, Banda, Mahoba, Hamirpur, Jalaun, Auraiya, and Etawah districts. Last year, the state had awarded the six packages of the expressway to winning bidders, including Apco Infratech, Ashoka Buildcon, Gawar Construction, and Dilip Buildcon.
 
It will connect Bundelkhand with NCR via the Agra-Lucknow and Yamuna Expressways.
 
Gorakhpur Link Expressway
 
The UP government has expedited the process of land acquisition for this project in Adityanath’s pocket borough of Gorakhpur. It will span four districts —Gorakhpur, Sant Kabir Nagar, Ambedkar Nagar, and Azamgarh. It is estimated to benefit 50 million people in Gorakhpur and the adjoining regions.

 
This expressway has been divided into two packages and awarded to Apco Infratech and Dilip Buildcon for development.  So far, the state government has arranged for Rs 2,250 crore in loans for the expressway, including a Rs 750-crore fresh borrowing from Punjab National Bank.
 
Ganga Expressway
 
Entailing land acquisition of 6,556 hectare in Meerut, Amroha, Bulandshahar, Badaun, Shahjahanpur, Farrukhabad, Hardoi, Kannauj, Unnao, Rae Bareli, Pratagarh, and Prayagraj districts, it is said to be the world’s longest access-controlled expressway project once completed. Recently, the UPEIDA Board had cleared a proposal of raising Rs 2,900 crore from the Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO) for land acquisition.

 
UP Additional Chief Secretary and UPEIDA CEO Awanish Kumar Awasthi said the state has been keeping the options open to develop the Ganga Expressway in different modes, including public-private partnership (PPP).
 
So far, the Adityanath government has sourced public sector bank credit of several thousands of crores for the expressway projects. Now, UPEIDA is planning to tap loans from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)-licensed banking entities, apart from foreign investors and companies.
 
Trade Promotion Council of India Chairman Mohit Singla said the UP expressway projects will create positive sentiment about the state’s industrial climate among investors, both domestic and foreign, since connectivity and logistics have been one of the key factors weighed upon by the investor community.