Says it is the expressway to development of UP: PM
Our Correspondent
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Tuesday, inaugurated the 341-kilometre long Purvanchal Expressway and termed it as the ‘pathway to development of new UP’.
The 341 kilometre long Purvanchal Expressway, dubbed to be the ‘expressway to development’, and boasting an additional feature of a 3.2 kilometre long airstrip where fighter jets could make emergency landing, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on a spectacular note with a muscular airshow by the Indian Air Force (IAF) at Sultanpur on Tuesday.
A Hercules C-130J aircraft of the IAF carrying the PM landed at the airstrip at around 1:30 pm where he was received by the Governor of Uttar Pradesh Anandiben Patel and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
Later addressing the huge gathering on the expressway, the Prime Minister said: “The Purvanchal Expressway is the expressway to the development of UP and to the state’s growing economic might. It reflects the advanced and state-of-the-art facilities currently being built in the state by the Government.”
The Prime Minister said: “When three years ago, I laid the foundation stone of the expressway, I didn’t know that one day I would be touching down on the airstrip on the expressway. But, the double engine government of UP made it possible so soon. Now anyone having doubts about the potential of Purvanchal is welcome to visit the expressway and hear the roar of the fighter aircraft emanating from it. It will clear all their doubts.”
PM Modi added: “Purvanchal has been neglected by previous governments for decades. The previous governments had surrendered the region to the mafia and poverty for fear of losing their votebanks. The previous Governments both at Centre and the state were also too preoccupied with their dynastic politics to understand that roads were a prerequisite for bringing investments.”
He said that the previous government only made announcements about industrial progress, but did not pay any attention to enhancing connectivity in the state, which compelled many existing industrial units to shut down in the state, not to talk of opening of new ones. “In those days, there was no raah (road), only raahjani (robbery)”, he quipped.
“However, the UP Government under the leadership of Tejaswi, Ojaswi and Karmyogi Yogiji and supported by the Central Government has prioritised enhancing connectivity to the remotest corners of the state. Today there are five expressways being built in the state which will enhance connectivity across the state as well as to the national capital”, the Prime Minister remarked.
Emphasising that uniform development is a must for a state and a country to thrive, the PM said that the Purvanchal Expressway will pave way for bridging the gap between eastern and western UP in terms of development.
The PM said that the Rs 22,000 crore expressway will attract investments worth lakhs of crores to the region in different sectors, ranging from food processing, tourism, animal husbandry, textile, education, health etc, creating employments for millions of local youths. “With the opening of the expressway, UP’s fate has also changed. Floodgates of development have opened in UP today, creating great employment opportunities for the local people.”
He added further: “Security of a country is as important as its prosperity. The airstrip on the expressway will help the fighter aircraft of the IAF to land at the airstrip during emergencies.”
The Prime Minister’s speech was followed by a majestic airshow by IAF aircraft namely, Sukhoi 30, Mirage 2,000, AN-32 and Jaguar.
It is worth mentioning here that the Purvanchal Expressway connects nine districts including Lucknow, Barabanki, Azamgarh, Amethi, Kanpur, Ayodhya, Mau, Ghazipur and Sultanpur.
He also slammed previous governments for lack of development and lauded the development push given by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister said that anyone who has any doubts about the capabilities of Uttar Pradesh and its people should come to Sultanpur today to witness their capability.