PM Modi inaugurates 296-km-long Bundelkhand Expressway in UP, says it will accelerate industrial progress of entire region

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday inaugurated the 296-km-long Bundelkhand Expressway, which passes through seven districts of Uttar Pradesh and has been constructed at a cost of around Rs 14,850 crore.

In his inauguration speech, Modi said that Bundelkhand Expressway will reduce the Chitrakoot-Delhi distance by 3-4 hours, and accelerate the industrial progress of the entire region. And, Under CM Adityanath's leadership, UP seeing major transformation with better law and order, and fast-improving connectivity.

Every corner of Uttar Pradesh is ready to progress fast on all frontiers to take the forward mantra of 'sabka saath, sabka vikaas', the prime minister said, adding that the earlier big cities had first right on modern means of transport; but that's not the case as 'this is Modi, this is Yogi'.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath welcomed Modi by offering him a local 'Bundeli' stole at the inauguration ceremony at Kaitheri village in Orai tehsil of Jalaun district.

Bundelkhand Expressway will ensure seamless connectivity and further economic progress in the region. https://t.co/bwQz2ZBGuZ

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 16, 2022

Modi had laid the foundation stone for the construction of the expressway on February 29, 2020, and it has been completed in about 28 months.

The Expressway extends from NH-35 at Gonda village near Bharatkoop in Chitrakoot district to near Kudrail village in Etawah district, where it merges with the Agra-Lucknow Expressway.

The four-lane expressway, which can be later expanded into six lanes, passes through seven districts -- Chitrakoot, Banda, Mahoba, Hamirpur, Jalaun, Auraiya and Etawah.

Besides improving connectivity in the region, the government expects the Bundelkhand Expressway to give a major boost to economic development and create thousands of jobs for the local people.

Work on creating an industrial corridor in Banda and Jalaun districts, next to the Expressway has already been started.

PM Modi urged every village to celebrate 75 years of India's independence and asked them to guard against anything that can harm our progress. He added, “India's youth must guard against 'revadi (sweets) culture' pursued by parties luring people with freebies; roads, rail more important.”