Showing government’s commitment to build infrastructure Union Surface Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari said that roads are the backbone of development of the country and can change the scenario of the rural India. Announcing that the government was considering to ply buses and heavy vehicles on ethonal, Gadkari said the NDA government at the Centre would spend around Rs 50,000 crore to develop roads in Uttar Pradesh during the next couple of years.
As many as 101 new waterways would be identified and these would be made operational soon, he said. laying the foundation stone for Rudauli-Basti ,56 kilometers road in Basti, the Minister declared that this new road would be known as Ram Janki path and would be recognised as a national highway. The work in the project would start within four months time, he said. Gadkari said a ring road would be constructed in Basti.
There is a need to have ring road that should avoid city. The Union Government will work in tandem with state government to find a way out, he said. He also asked the UP government to start the closed sugar mill in Basti. “This mill gave direct job to hundred of people and indirect employment to thousand. The Government should look at the way and mean to revive this mill, he said. In Sidharthnagar, the Union minister layed the foundation stone for Kakarhawa on the Indo-Nepal border to Rudhauli road. This would be called as national highway-233 with a length of 66 kilometers and would link Ram Janaki road in Basti, he said.
later Gadkari laid the foundation of NH 29 (E) Gorakhpur to Sonauli (Nepal Border) of 23 km with an expenditure of Rs 569 crore. He also ordered construction of NH 96 between Faizabad and Sultanpur. This 46 km road would cost of Rs 228 crore. The union minister will meet Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday and would review road projects in the state. He is also expected to lay the foundation stone for NH- 28 (C) at Barabanki on Wednesday. The 146 km long road will be constructed between Barabanki-Bahriach-Rupaidiha (Nepal border) at the cost of Rs 1134 crore.