UP govt unveils state-of-art Mega Ganga Expressway project

Lucknow, Sep 5(UNI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati today announced a mega 1000 km ultra, modern, eight lane Ganga Expressway from Noida to Ballia on the left bank of the river Ganga costing about Rs 40,000 crore.

The state Cabinet today approved the project while the Centre has gavers environmental clearance to the project. This will be the second expressway in the state after 145 Kilometers long Taj Expresway 145 kilometers between Noida and Agra, which has been delayed for the last five years due to legal problems.

Announcing the mega project, Ms Mayawati told mediapersons here that project would end the annual menance of floods and pollution in the region of the expressway.

'' The total cost of the project would Rs 40,000 crore and private entrepreneurs who will be selected through transparent global bidding'', she said.

The foundation stone of the project is likely to be laid in the last week of January, while it is expected to be completed in next three to four years. After completion of the project, the travel time between National Capital Region(NCR) and Ballia would be cut short to eight hours only from the present 20 hrs, Ms Mayawti claimed.

'' The project will fulfill the promise made by our government to uplift the backwardness of Poorwanchal and Bundelkhand through all round development'', the CM claimed adding that it will also generate employment opportunities.

The new Ganga Expressway will be connected through four link expressways - - Ghaziabad-Saharanpur-Hardwar, Lucknow-Barabanki-Nanpara, Jhansi-Kanpur-Lucknow- Gorakhpur- Kushinagar, and Agra- Kanpur and Bijnour-Moradabad-Fatehgarh.

Cabinet Secretary Shashank Shekhar Singh said that industrial, commercial and residential hubs would be alloted to the investors to make the project viable for them, even though they will receive revenue through toll tax.

'' There will be minimim displacement and land acquisation as the expressway would be constructed on the left bank of Ganga while all the major cities including Kanpur, Allahabad, Varanasi and others are on the right side of the river'', he added.

Mr Shekhar said that techno-economic feasibility report of the project will be available within next three months, while the bidding would be done two months after the report.'' We have completed the satellite mapping and preliminary survey on the project'', he further added.

The state government officials claim that the project would help in re-energising the traditional industries based in areas like Bhadohi, Kannauj and Khurja and will also help the weavers and craftsmen to improve their economic condition. Besides, it would also ensure revival of ancient and historic cities like Mirzapur and Bithoor.

UNI