UP Roads To Be At Par With US By 2024-End: Nitin Gadkari Announces Projects Worth Rs 8,000 Crores

For achieving the target of USD 5 trillion economy, as directed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the road network is most important, Gadkari said.

New Delhi: Union Road Transport and Highway Minister Nitin Gadkari on Saturday said he promised Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath that the infrastructure in Uttar Pradesh will be equivalent to those in the USA by 2024. 

While addressing the 81st Annual Session of the Indian Roads Congress in Uttar Pradesh's Lucknow, Gadkari said, "I have promised (UP CM) Yogi Ji that before the end of 2024, we will make the road infrastructure of Uttar Pradesh equivalent to that of the USA", news agency ANI reported.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was also present at the meeting.

Gadkari said that there will be road projects worth Rs 5 lakh crores in the state before the end of 2024 as he announced projects worth Rs 8,000 crores on Saturday. 

"I have promised that there will be road projects worth Rs 5 lakh crores in Uttar Pradesh before the end of 2024. I'm announcing projects worth Rs 8,000 crores today," he stated, as per ANI.

"There is no shortage of money with the government for the construction of good roads," he added.

Gadkari urged all stakeholders 'Vishwakarma', behind the development of road infrastructure, to ensure the projects are fast-paced, sustainable infrastructure development in the country, keeping in mind ecological preservation, technology, innovation, safety, and quality construction of the roads, according to Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.

For achieving the target of USD 5 trillion economy, as directed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the road network is most important, Gadkari said.

"This 3-day session of IRC will be a great opportunity for engineers, professionals, and road sector experts from India and foreign countries to come together and make efforts towards safer and sustainable roads furthering Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of 5 trillion dollar economy," he added.

The need of the hour is to use "waste" for road construction without harming the environment in Uttar Pradesh, the minister added. He stressed that along with the economy, attention must also be paid to the environment.

The Union minister also appealed to the people to use CNG, ethanol, methanol, and electric vehicles instead of diesel and petrol vehicles, which he said will also make fares cheaper.

Today we are making one lakh litres of bioethanol from stubble and are also working on manufacturing bio-CNG from it, he said, according to PTI. Terming green hydrogen as the need of the future, Gadkari said if work on this technology is done in 117 aspirational districts of the country, it will help them become financially strong and generate employment.

Gadkari also held a review meeting at the UP CM's residence to discuss the road development projects and the ongoing and proposed National Highway projects.