News Analysis India

Tag: Bundelkhand Expressway

  • Portion of Bundelkhand expressway develops potholes due to rains, days after opening by PM Modi

    By PTI

    JALAUN: A portion of the Bundelkhand expressway developed deep potholes due to heavy rains here, within a week of Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurating the 296-km-long road.

    The portion of the road developed one-and-a-half-foot-deep potholes due to rains at Chiriya Salempur in Uttar Pradesh’s Jalaun district on Wednesday night, said UP Expressway Industrial Authority spokesperson Durgesh Upadhyay.

    The potholes were repaired instantly and the road opened to traffic, he added.

    The authority deployed a team with bulldozers and necessary equipment to repair the stretch.

    When contacted by PTI, District Magistrate Chandani Singh did not respond to calls.

    The incident drew criticism, with BJP MP Varun Gandhi questioning the quality of the construction work and seeking action against officials and the companies concerned.

    The incident also gave ammunition to the opposition Samajwadi Party and the Congress to attack the government.

    Varun Gandhi in a Hindi tweet said, “If the expressway built at a cost of Rs 15,000 crore cannot withstand even five days of rain, then serious questions rise on its quality.”

    “The head of the project, the engineer concerned and responsible companies should be summoned and action be taken against them,” he added.

    ALSO READ | Bengaluru road relaid by BBMP for Modi visit collapses soon after he leaves

    Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav in a Hindi tweet said, “This is a sample of the quality of the BJP’s half-finished development. The Bundelkhand expressway was inaugurated by big people and within a week huge pits of corruption came out on it. It is good that the runway was not built on it. The caving-in of the Bundelkhand expressway just days after its inauguration proves corruption of the double-engine BJP government in the construction of the road. The CM should apologise for endangering lives of people by inaugurating half-finished Bundelkhand expressway,” the Samajwadi Party said in a Hindi tweet and also tagged a video.

    The UP Congress also targeted the BJP government on Twitter, saying the government had promised pothole-free roads.

    The development has taken a hit after four days of inauguration of the Bundelkhand expressway, it said.

    On the day of inauguration of the Bundelkhand expressway, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav had attacked the Yogi Adityanath government alleging corruption in the “half-finished” project.

    PM Modi had inaugurated the 296-km-long expressway on July 16.

    JALAUN: A portion of the Bundelkhand expressway developed deep potholes due to heavy rains here, within a week of Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurating the 296-km-long road.

    The portion of the road developed one-and-a-half-foot-deep potholes due to rains at Chiriya Salempur in Uttar Pradesh’s Jalaun district on Wednesday night, said UP Expressway Industrial Authority spokesperson Durgesh Upadhyay.

    The potholes were repaired instantly and the road opened to traffic, he added.

    The authority deployed a team with bulldozers and necessary equipment to repair the stretch.

    When contacted by PTI, District Magistrate Chandani Singh did not respond to calls.

    The incident drew criticism, with BJP MP Varun Gandhi questioning the quality of the construction work and seeking action against officials and the companies concerned.

    The incident also gave ammunition to the opposition Samajwadi Party and the Congress to attack the government.

    Varun Gandhi in a Hindi tweet said, “If the expressway built at a cost of Rs 15,000 crore cannot withstand even five days of rain, then serious questions rise on its quality.”

    “The head of the project, the engineer concerned and responsible companies should be summoned and action be taken against them,” he added.

    ALSO READ | Bengaluru road relaid by BBMP for Modi visit collapses soon after he leaves

    Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav in a Hindi tweet said, “This is a sample of the quality of the BJP’s half-finished development. The Bundelkhand expressway was inaugurated by big people and within a week huge pits of corruption came out on it. It is good that the runway was not built on it. The caving-in of the Bundelkhand expressway just days after its inauguration proves corruption of the double-engine BJP government in the construction of the road. The CM should apologise for endangering lives of people by inaugurating half-finished Bundelkhand expressway,” the Samajwadi Party said in a Hindi tweet and also tagged a video.

    The UP Congress also targeted the BJP government on Twitter, saying the government had promised pothole-free roads.

    The development has taken a hit after four days of inauguration of the Bundelkhand expressway, it said.

    On the day of inauguration of the Bundelkhand expressway, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav had attacked the Yogi Adityanath government alleging corruption in the “half-finished” project.

    PM Modi had inaugurated the 296-km-long expressway on July 16.

  • ‘Revadi culture’: PM Modi warns against garnering votes through freebies

    Express News Service

    LUCKNOW: Denouncing the ‘politics of freebies’ allegedly practised by certain political parties to garner votes, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday called upon the people to be cautious of them and also rid the country’s political arena of the proponents of ‘Revadi’ (freebie) culture as it was a dangerous trend which retarded the growth.

    While addressing a gathering after inaugurating 296-km long Bundelkhand Expressway, built at a cost of Rs 1,132 crore within 28 months, in Jalaun on Saturday, the PM said: “The ‘Revadi culture’ (freebie culture) is dangerous for the development of the country. The followers of ‘Revadi culture’ will never build expressways, airports and defence corridors. People, especially, the youth have to be cautious of such designs as this culture lures the youngsters by freebies and pushes their future to darkness. Together we have to remove this freebie culture from country’s politics.”

    Crediting the development to the double engine government, Modi said neither the BJP-ruled states nor the Centre ever resorted to shortcuts of distributing freebies. “We believe in working hard to improve the future,” he maintained.

    Laying stress on connectivity as the basic requirement to proceed on path of development, the PM praised CM Yogi Aditayanath saying that under his leadership, UP was witnessing major transformation.

    He pointed out that prior to 2017, UP was identified by two things — bad law and order scenario and poor connectivity. “After Yogiji took over as CM, there has been a marked improvement in both. I knew if these two things would be corrected, UP will become a state that can fight all odds,” said PM Modi.

    ALSO READ | Free education, healthcare not freebies, but efforts towards making India No 1: Arvind Kejriwal

    Modi dedicated Bundelkhand Expressway to the “glorious legacy and pride of Bundelkhand which had been the land of warriors and patriots”. “The newly unveiled expressway will not just provide convenience to the transportation issues in the region but will also bring prosperity in and around the seven districts – Chitrakoot, Hamirpur, Auraiyya, Jalaun, Mahoba, Banda, and Etawah — linked with it,” claimed the PM. He added that Bundelkhand Expressway would reduce Chitrakoot-Delhi travel time by 3-4 hours, giving boost to industrial progress of the region which had been lying ignored as the backward in the previous dispensations.

    “With this expressway, there will be an industrial boom in the region. Earlier, big cities had the first right on modern means of transport, but that’s not the case anymore as this is Modi, this is Yogi. Sarkar bhi badli hai, mijaaz bhi badla hai or hum naye tareeke se aage badh rhe hai (Every corner of Uttar Pradesh is moving forward with new dreams in a new mood as this is a new government) ,” said the PM.

    The expressway has been completed eight months before the designated time. The expressway, built in 28 months, is four-lane road expandable to six lanes. With the inauguration of a new expressway, the distance of 630 km between Delhi and Chitrakoot could be covered in just 6 hours.

    The PM called upon the people of the country to be away from anything and everything which may hamper country’s growth. “No work should be done which does not give shape to the present aspirations of the country for a bright future. We have to be cautious of everything which can hamper the growth and harm the country,” said the PM.

    PM Modi concluded his speech by making a fervent appeal to the people across six lakh villages of the country to organise month-long programmes till August 15 and celebrate the 75th year of India’s independence to pay homage to all those freedom fighters who made immense sacrifices to win this freedom for us,” he said.

    LUCKNOW: Denouncing the ‘politics of freebies’ allegedly practised by certain political parties to garner votes, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday called upon the people to be cautious of them and also rid the country’s political arena of the proponents of ‘Revadi’ (freebie) culture as it was a dangerous trend which retarded the growth.

    While addressing a gathering after inaugurating 296-km long Bundelkhand Expressway, built at a cost of Rs 1,132 crore within 28 months, in Jalaun on Saturday, the PM said: “The ‘Revadi culture’ (freebie culture) is dangerous for the development of the country. The followers of ‘Revadi culture’ will never build expressways, airports and defence corridors. People, especially, the youth have to be cautious of such designs as this culture lures the youngsters by freebies and pushes their future to darkness. Together we have to remove this freebie culture from country’s politics.”

    Crediting the development to the double engine government, Modi said neither the BJP-ruled states nor the Centre ever resorted to shortcuts of distributing freebies. “We believe in working hard to improve the future,” he maintained.

    Laying stress on connectivity as the basic requirement to proceed on path of development, the PM praised CM Yogi Aditayanath saying that under his leadership, UP was witnessing major transformation.

    He pointed out that prior to 2017, UP was identified by two things — bad law and order scenario and poor connectivity. “After Yogiji took over as CM, there has been a marked improvement in both. I knew if these two things would be corrected, UP will become a state that can fight all odds,” said PM Modi.

    ALSO READ | Free education, healthcare not freebies, but efforts towards making India No 1: Arvind Kejriwal

    Modi dedicated Bundelkhand Expressway to the “glorious legacy and pride of Bundelkhand which had been the land of warriors and patriots”. “The newly unveiled expressway will not just provide convenience to the transportation issues in the region but will also bring prosperity in and around the seven districts – Chitrakoot, Hamirpur, Auraiyya, Jalaun, Mahoba, Banda, and Etawah — linked with it,” claimed the PM. He added that Bundelkhand Expressway would reduce Chitrakoot-Delhi travel time by 3-4 hours, giving boost to industrial progress of the region which had been lying ignored as the backward in the previous dispensations.

    “With this expressway, there will be an industrial boom in the region. Earlier, big cities had the first right on modern means of transport, but that’s not the case anymore as this is Modi, this is Yogi. Sarkar bhi badli hai, mijaaz bhi badla hai or hum naye tareeke se aage badh rhe hai (Every corner of Uttar Pradesh is moving forward with new dreams in a new mood as this is a new government) ,” said the PM.

    The expressway has been completed eight months before the designated time. The expressway, built in 28 months, is four-lane road expandable to six lanes. With the inauguration of a new expressway, the distance of 630 km between Delhi and Chitrakoot could be covered in just 6 hours.

    The PM called upon the people of the country to be away from anything and everything which may hamper country’s growth. “No work should be done which does not give shape to the present aspirations of the country for a bright future. We have to be cautious of everything which can hamper the growth and harm the country,” said the PM.

    PM Modi concluded his speech by making a fervent appeal to the people across six lakh villages of the country to organise month-long programmes till August 15 and celebrate the 75th year of India’s independence to pay homage to all those freedom fighters who made immense sacrifices to win this freedom for us,” he said.

  • ‘Revadi culture’: PM Modi warns against garnering votes through freebies

    By PTI

    JALAUN: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday cautioned people against what he called a “revadi culture” of offering freebies for votes and said this is “very dangerous” for the development of the country.

    The Prime Minister used ‘revadi’, a popular north Indian sweet often distributed during festivals, as a metaphor for freebies being promised by various parties to grab power and said the people, especially the youth should guard against this.

    Addressing a gathering here after inaugurating the 296-km Bundelkhand Expressway constructed at a cost of around Rs 14,850 crore, Modi said this expressway will not only give speed to the vehicles, but will also accelerate the industrial progress of the entire Bundelkhand.

    He said the distance from Chitrakoot to Delhi by the Bundelkhand expressway has been reduced by three-four hours, but its benefit is much more than that and hit out at previous dispensations in Uttar Pradesh for the lack of connectivity.

    The “double-engine” government now was ensuring the major transformation of the state with fast-improving connectivity and much better law and order, he said.

    Modi asserted that no such work should be done that is not related to the present aspirations and better future of the country.

    The thinking behind every decision and policy should be that development of the country would be accelerated, the Prime minister said, adding that it should be ensured that all those things that harm and negatively impact the country’s development are kept away.

    Modi said the country has got a very good opportunity for development and it should not let this go.

    “We have to ensure maximum development in this era and take the country to new heights and build a new India,” he said.

    Modi said the new India also faces a challenge, which if overlooked now, would be harmful to this generation.

    “Your present will be lost and your future pushed into darkness. It is important to be vigilant”, he added.

    “In our country today, attempts are being made to bring a culture of garnering votes by distributing ‘revadis’. This ‘revadi culture’ is very dangerous for the development of the country. People of the country and especially the youth need to guard against this culture,” Modi said.

    He said those indulging in ‘revadi culture’ will never make new expressways, airports and defence corridors.

    “The ‘revadi culture’ people think they will buy out people by distributing free ‘revadis’. We have to jointly defeat this thinking of theirs. Have to remove ‘revadi culture’ from the country’s politics,” Modi said without taking any names.

    Modi’s remarks were targeted at parties that have been resorting to giving away freebies, especially before polls.

    “Away from the revadi culture, we are focused on fulfilling people’s aspirations by building new roads and rail routes”, he said.

    Crores of ‘pucca’ houses are being built for the people, dams are being built and irrigation schemes are being implemented to ensure ease of living for the poor and farmers, the prime minister said.

    He said “double engine” governments of the BJP are not taking the shortcut of ‘revadi culture’ but working hard for the better future of their state.

    Under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s leadership, Uttar Pradesh is seeing major transformation with better law and order and fast-improving connectivity, Modi said, and asked people to recall the state of law and order and connectivity in Uttar Pradesh earlier.

    BJP leaders use the term “double engine” to refer to the party being in power at the Centre as well as in a state.

    Modi said the path of development on which the country is moving has two aspects at its core — ‘iraada aur maryada’ (intent and decorum).

    “We are not only creating new facilities for the present but are also building the future of the country,” he said.

    The Bundelkhand Expressway passes through seven districts of Uttar Pradesh and has been constructed at a cost of around Rs 14,850 crore.

    The time taken from Chitrakoot to Delhi by the Bundelkhand expressway would now be six hours, officials said.

    Adityanath welcomed Modi by offering him a local ‘Bundeli’ stole at the inauguration ceremony at Kaitheri village in Orai tehsil of Jalaun district.

    Modi laid the foundation stone for the construction of the expressway on February 29, 2020.

    JALAUN: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday cautioned people against what he called a “revadi culture” of offering freebies for votes and said this is “very dangerous” for the development of the country.

    The Prime Minister used ‘revadi’, a popular north Indian sweet often distributed during festivals, as a metaphor for freebies being promised by various parties to grab power and said the people, especially the youth should guard against this.

    Addressing a gathering here after inaugurating the 296-km Bundelkhand Expressway constructed at a cost of around Rs 14,850 crore, Modi said this expressway will not only give speed to the vehicles, but will also accelerate the industrial progress of the entire Bundelkhand.

    He said the distance from Chitrakoot to Delhi by the Bundelkhand expressway has been reduced by three-four hours, but its benefit is much more than that and hit out at previous dispensations in Uttar Pradesh for the lack of connectivity.

    The “double-engine” government now was ensuring the major transformation of the state with fast-improving connectivity and much better law and order, he said.

    Modi asserted that no such work should be done that is not related to the present aspirations and better future of the country.

    The thinking behind every decision and policy should be that development of the country would be accelerated, the Prime minister said, adding that it should be ensured that all those things that harm and negatively impact the country’s development are kept away.

    Modi said the country has got a very good opportunity for development and it should not let this go.

    “We have to ensure maximum development in this era and take the country to new heights and build a new India,” he said.

    Modi said the new India also faces a challenge, which if overlooked now, would be harmful to this generation.

    “Your present will be lost and your future pushed into darkness. It is important to be vigilant”, he added.

    “In our country today, attempts are being made to bring a culture of garnering votes by distributing ‘revadis’. This ‘revadi culture’ is very dangerous for the development of the country. People of the country and especially the youth need to guard against this culture,” Modi said.

    He said those indulging in ‘revadi culture’ will never make new expressways, airports and defence corridors.

    “The ‘revadi culture’ people think they will buy out people by distributing free ‘revadis’. We have to jointly defeat this thinking of theirs. Have to remove ‘revadi culture’ from the country’s politics,” Modi said without taking any names.

    Modi’s remarks were targeted at parties that have been resorting to giving away freebies, especially before polls.

    “Away from the revadi culture, we are focused on fulfilling people’s aspirations by building new roads and rail routes”, he said.

    Crores of ‘pucca’ houses are being built for the people, dams are being built and irrigation schemes are being implemented to ensure ease of living for the poor and farmers, the prime minister said.

    He said “double engine” governments of the BJP are not taking the shortcut of ‘revadi culture’ but working hard for the better future of their state.

    Under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s leadership, Uttar Pradesh is seeing major transformation with better law and order and fast-improving connectivity, Modi said, and asked people to recall the state of law and order and connectivity in Uttar Pradesh earlier.

    BJP leaders use the term “double engine” to refer to the party being in power at the Centre as well as in a state.

    Modi said the path of development on which the country is moving has two aspects at its core — ‘iraada aur maryada’ (intent and decorum).

    “We are not only creating new facilities for the present but are also building the future of the country,” he said.

    The Bundelkhand Expressway passes through seven districts of Uttar Pradesh and has been constructed at a cost of around Rs 14,850 crore.

    The time taken from Chitrakoot to Delhi by the Bundelkhand expressway would now be six hours, officials said.

    Adityanath welcomed Modi by offering him a local ‘Bundeli’ stole at the inauguration ceremony at Kaitheri village in Orai tehsil of Jalaun district.

    Modi laid the foundation stone for the construction of the expressway on February 29, 2020.

  • PM Modi to pay multiple visits to UP before poll notification

    By Express News Service

    LUCKNOW: With battle lines drawn for 2022 assembly elections due early next year in Uttar Pradesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to pay multiple visits to launch a number of big-ticket infrastructure projects in December.

    The PM has already paid 3-4 visits to UP in November. On November 16, he inaugurated the Purvanchal Expressway and on November 19, he inaugurated the Jhansi node of UP Defence Corridor and Arjun Sahayak Irrigation project in Mahoba. During his last visit during November 19-21, Modi attended 56th DG/IG conference and on November 25, he laid the foundation stone of Jewar International Airport in Greater Noida.

    In December, PM Modi is likely to visit the state several times before the notification of the 2022 Assembly polls.

    The PM is likely to visit Prayagraj to inaugurate development projects worth crores on December 5. He will embark upon a two-day visit to Varanasi, his parliamentary constituency, to unveil his dream project — Kashi Vishwanath Corridor — on December 13 and 14. Before that, he is expected to visit Gorakhpur to inaugurate AIIMS, nine hi-tech ICMR laboratories at BRD Medical College as well as a fertilizer plant on December 7.

    ALSO READ | ‘UP doesn’t want Bua-babua, it wants only Baba’: Rajnath hails Yogi, hits out at Mayawati, Akhilesh

    Even more, the schedule for the inauguration of Bundelkhand Expressway, Gorakhpur Link Expressway and to lay the foundation of the Ganga Expressway, is likely to be finalized soon, said the sources.

    “Yes, a number of major projects are getting ready for inauguration by the Prime Minister. Many projects getting completed now,” said an official spokesman.

    On December 13, the Prime Minister is likely to inaugurate his dream project Shrikashi Vishwanath Dham following which every house in Varanasi will receive prasad from the temple and a book on the project. Also, a programme, ‘Bhavya Kashi Divya Kashi’, will be organised on both days of his visit.

    During the 2017 election when the PM had stayed in Varanasi for three days, this time, too, he is likely to take part in more than a dozen events during his visit.

    Besides, attending a dialogue with all the CMs of BJP-ruled states, as well as with over 200 mayors, the PM would be addressing a public rally in his parliamentary constituency. He may also visit Sewapuri, the country’s first model block. Along with this, PM Modi is expected to interact with farmers on “zero budget” farming and inspect a newly constructed biogas plant in Shahanshahpur.

    Significantly, since September 15, when PM Modi had visited Aligarh to unveil the statue of Jat King Maharaj Mahendra Singh, he has paid at least eight visits with three in October and four in November to different regions of UP.