UP government takes the road to urban, rural popularity

LUCKNOW: Pushing for his pro-development image ahead of UP assembly elections due in 2017, chief minister Akhilesh Yadav chose to make higher budgetary allocation for infrastructure projects, including the Lucknow-Agra greenfield expressway. The project, which the government claims will be completed by the end of the year, received a strong financial dose.

The state government also made the first budgetary allocation for the proposed Lucknow-Ballia expressway, that would pass through Azamgarh - the parliamentary constituency of Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav.

Spanning well over 350km, the expressway, India's longest, is projected to provide much needed connectivity to east UP.

High budgetary allocation has also been made for construction, repair and maintenance of roads, bridges and railway overbridges.

Aware of the rural voters being key in the assembly elections, the state government ensured a separate fund for connecting villages with cemented link roads. Four-laning of roads connecting district headquarters once again accorded priority with the Akhilesh Yadav government which allocated over Rs 1,100 crore for it. This would be apart from the Rs 75 crore earmarked for maintenance of roads important from a tourism point of view.

With an aim to provide road connectivity in east UP, ostensibly on Indo-Nepal border, a budgetary allocation of Rs 250 crore has been made for a 257km-long road. The road is proposed to pass through seven districts.