New Uttar Pradesh’s infrastructure, welfare push powering new India’s development breakthrough: Yogi Adityanath

With the launch of infrastructure projects and public welfare schemes, new Uttar Pradesh is making a breakthrough for the development of new India, chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said in the state assembly on Wednesday.

“The state government has given the momentum to the development of land, water and air infrastructure facilities. Soon, Uttar Pradesh will become the first state in the country to have 21 airports,” he said, replying to the motion of thanks to the governor’s address.

“After the construction of Purvanchal Expressway, Bundelkhand Expressway, Gorakhpur Link Expressway, Ballia Link Expressway and Chitrakoot Link Expressway will be built soon,” he said.

“Before the Prayagraj Mahakumbh (in early 2025), the government is trying to open the Ganga Expressway. The Lucknow- Kanpur Link Expressway is being constructed with the assistance of the central government,” he added.

In 2017, only two airports in Uttar Pradesh -- Varanasi and Lucknow -- were fully functional. Today 10 airports are operational with 150 flights to over 75 destinations, the chief minister asserted.

“The number of air passengers has increased 100 times from 2016-17 to 2023. The Inland Waterways Authority has been formed for connectivity through rivers. The construction work of a multi-modal terminal has been completed in Varanasi,” he said.

In 2016-17, Uttar Pradesh’s total power generation capacity was 5600 megawatt (mw), he said. At present, the total generation capacity has reached 8688 mw, he added.

“By the end of this year, our power generation capacity will reach 12,800 mw. In 2017, electricity supply had reached 1,28,494 villages. Last year, electricity was supplied to 2,49,818 villages. It clearly shows that 100% hamlets have been electrified,” he said.

“Till 2017, the total installed capacity of solar energy projects was 288 mw, today it has increased to 2596 mw. Solar energy-based power projects have increased 10 times in the last seven years. While Ayodhya and Kashi are being developed as Solar Cities, Bundelkhand Expressway is being prepared as Solar Expressway. A 10-km road in Ayodhya has been illuminated by solar smart streetlights, which is a world record,” he said.

Emphasising good governance, improvement in law and order and zero tolerance policy toward crime, the chief minister said, “The government has taken many important steps to create an environment of security among the common people. Police commissionerates have been made in Lucknow, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Kanpur Nagar, Varanasi, Agra, Ghaziabad and Prayagraj. Cyber cell is operational in all 75 districts. The process of establishing Advanced Cyber Forensic Lab at Cyber Crime Headquarters, Lucknow, Basic Cyber Forensic Lab at 18 regional police stations and 57 district cyber crime stations is in progress.”

“Today Uttar Pradesh has emerged as a role model in the direction of crime eradication across the country,” he said.

The Mahakumbh 2025 in Prayagraj will be held in a more grand and divine manner than 2019, he said.

“We are estimating that twice as many devotees will attend the 2025 Kumbh as compared to the Kumbh of 2019. Work has already started to develop infrastructure facilities for them. Nine ROBs have been constructed, work has been done to build a new civil terminal, widening and strengthening of more than 250 roads has been done; 114500 toilets were constructed,” he said.

“Today, Uttar Pradesh has reached (the) number one (position) in tourism. Lakhs of people are getting employment opportunities and the economy of U.P. is growing. The state government has launched Ayodhya Teerth Development Council, Sri Devipatan Teerth Development Council, Braj Teerth Development Council, Vindhya Dham Teerth Development Council, Shukrateerth Development Council, Chitrakoot Dham Teerth and Naimisharanya Dham Teerth Development Council for systematic development of religious places,” he said.