PM Narendra Modi to lay foundation stone of Ganga Expressway in UP's Shahjahanpur today

The expressway will start near the Bijauli village in Meerut and will extend till near the Judapur Dandu village in Prayagraj. It will pass through Meerut, Hapur, Bulandshahr, Amroha, Sambhal, Budaun, Shahjahanpur, Hardoi, Unnao, Rae Bareli, Pratapgarh and Prayagraj.

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New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to lay the foundation stone of the Ganga Expressway in Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh on Saturday (December 18, 2021) at around 1 pm.

According to a release issued by the Prime Minister's Office on December 16, the inspiration behind the expressway is the vision of the Prime Minister to provide fast-paced connectivity across the country.

The release also added that the 594-kilometre long six-lane expressway will be built at a cost of over Rs 36,200 crore and will start near the Bijauli village in Meerut. The expressway will extend till near the Judapur Dandu village in Prayagraj. It will pass through Meerut, Hapur, Bulandshahr, Amroha, Sambhal, Budaun, Shahjahanpur, Hardoi, Unnao, Rae Bareli, Pratapgarh and Prayagraj.

Upon completion of work, it will become the longest expressway of Uttar Pradesh, connecting the western and eastern regions of the state. A 3.5-kilometre long air-strip for assisting emergency take-off and landing of Air Force planes will also be constructed on the expressway in Shahjahanpur. An industrial corridor is also proposed to be built along the expressway.

The expressway will also give a fillip to multiple sectors including industrial development, trade, agriculture, tourism, etc. It will provide a big boost to the socio-economic development of the region.

The Ganga Expressway was approved on November 26, 2020. This expressway will be completed by 2024.

Earlier, on December 13, PM Modi inaugurated phase 1 of Kashi Vishwanath Dham, which has been constructed at a cost of around Rs 339 crores, amid chants of 'Har Har Mahadev'. In his inaugural speech, the PM said, “Kashi is a symbol of our spiritual soul! It is a symbol of India's antiquity, traditions! India's energy, mobility.’’

"It is said in our Puranas that as soon as one enters Kashi, one becomes free from all bondage. Blessings of Lord Vishweshwara, supernatural energy that awakens our inner soul as soon as we come here. Right now, along with Baba, I am also coming after seeing the city Kotwal Kalbhairav Ji, bringing his blessings for the countrymen," the prime minister said. 

Meanwhile, PM Modi also met several BJP MPs from the poll-bound Uttar Pradesh over breakfast on Friday, with sources saying he discussed various "non-political" issues with them and advised them to engage more with party workers and people beyond politics.

Aside from the 36 MPs, the meeting was also attended by BJP president JP Nadda and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi, they said.

However, one noticeable absentee was Kheri MP and Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Ajay Mishra Teni, whose son Ashish is accused in the October 3 Lakhimpur Kheri violence case. Ashish was booked after four farmers and a journalist were mowed down by a speeding SUV while they were returning from a protest against the now-repealed farm laws.

During the meeting at his official residence here, the prime minister mostly discussed "non-political" issues and it was more of an informal meeting over breakfast, the sources said.

The MPs applauded Modi for the Kanshi Vishwanath corridor while specifically mentioning that the prime minister having lunch with the construction workers of the corridor has gone well with masses especially in Uttar Pradesh, they said.

This was a fourth meeting of the prime minister with BJP MPs in different batches during the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament. He has so far met MPs from northeastern states, southern states and Madhya Pradesh.

The BJP is fighting elections in Uttar Pradesh in alliance with Nishad Party and Apna Dal (S). Assembly elections in the country's most populous state will be held early next year.

In the 2017 assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, the BJP had swept the elections and won 312 seats in the 403-seat Uttar Pradesh Assembly. While SP bagged 47 seats, BSP won 19 and Congress only managed to win seven seats.

(With agency inputs)