Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav asserted that whether the BJP-ruled Central government extended financial support or not, all projects underway in Uttar Pradesh would be completed on time. The Chief Minister was speaking after laying the foundation of Kanpur Metro and other projects at Palika Stadium on Tuesday. “It is ironical that despite BJP MPs representing the two seats of Kanpur, the Centre has refused to release funds for all-round development of the industrial city,” said Yadav.
Arriving almost an hour late at a high-tech pandal in the stadium, the CM told the gathering: “Granting Metro Rail project to Kanpur has been an honest effort on the part of the UP government. Now, citizens can take pride and claim that their city is at par with a handful of cities with the facility.”
later, in a subtle attack on the Modi government for not cooperating with the state government, Yadav made a reference to the launch of Samajwadi Ambulance Sewa. He claimed that the Centre harped on removal of the term ‘Samajwadi’ for sanctioning the required funds.
“After the Centre finally refused, the state government decided to go ahead with the project using its own resources,” Yadav said.
Taking a dig at Urban Development, Housing and IB Minister Venkaiah Naidu, who was seated next to him on the dais, the CM said: “Kanpur has always been a Smart City, as also the industrial hub of UP. The city has been recording maximum exports which played a major role in the state’s development.”
Speaking on his government’s achievements, the CM said: “We carried out several projects for the progress of the state. Generators have more or less gone silent in Kanpur and the same proves that power supply has improved. Power supply is our priority as economic growth is directly linked to it.”
In his speech, Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu said that the Kanpur Metro Rail project, estimated to cost `17,879 crore, was a joint venture of the UP government and Centre. “The project will be the lifeline of Kanpur and ensure hassle-free travel across the city, bringing down pollution considerably,” said Naidu.
“It is a fact that India cannot progress unless UP progresses and hence it has been the Centre’s priority to sanction all projects of the state government. A total of 61 cities are being developed under various Central projects and 171 projects are in the pipeline,” Naidu said.
“The Modi government is committed to making ‘smart leaders’, ‘smart people’ and ‘smart state governments’. The Union government is open to people’s suggestions,” he asserted. local MP Murli Manohar Joshi was booed by the crowd for his prolonged absence from the constituency and all his efforts to placate them failed. Several UP ministers, MPs and MlAs, along with senor officials, were present on the occasion.