PM Modi inaugurates Purvanchal Expressway, says previous govts reduced eastern UP to 'mafiawaad'

PM Narendra Modi boards C-130 J Super Hercules aircraft after inaugurating 341-km long Purvanchal Expressway and witnessing a airshow in Karwal Kheri, Sultanpur

 Mirage 2000 makes landing on the airstrip of Purvanchal Expressway in Karwal Kheri, Sultanpur.

PM Modi said that the government before Yogi ji did injustice to people of UP. The manner in which they discriminated in development, the manner in which they did welfare of only their family - people of UP will permanently remove them from the path of the state's development, you did this in 2017.

PM Modi said: I used to be surprised by the situation 7-8 yrs back. I used to be surprised that what are some people punishing UP for? So, in 2014 when you gave me the opportunity to serve this great nation, I started going into the minute details of its development - as its MP, as the PM. I initiated a lot of projects for UP. Poor were given pucca houses, ensured toilets in their houses so that women don't need to step out to relieve themselves, that every house should have electricity - a lot of such things were necessary to be taken up here. But I'm pained that the then UP govt didn't cooperate. They were also scared of upsetting their vote banks by standing beside me in public. I used to come as an MP, they used to disappear after receiving me at airport. They were ashamed as they had nothing to show as work.

PM Modi said that the country's security is as important as its prosperity. In a short while from now, we will see that how Purvanchal Expressway has now become one more power for the Indian Air Force in cases of emergency. Our fighter plane will land on the expressway shortly. "The roar of these aircraft will also be for the people who ignored the defence infrastructure of the nation for decades," he said.

Attacking the previous Samajwadi Party and BSP governments, PM Modi while speaking at the Sultanpur expressway inauguration event said that development under previous chief ministers was limited to places where they had homes, families.

PM Modi said that for the all-round development of the country, the balanced development of the country is equally important. "Some areas marching ahead in the race of development and some areas lagging decades behind isn't right for any country," he said. The Prime Minister also slammed the previous governments, saying they handed over eastern Uttar Pradesh to 'mafiawaad' and poverty but the BJP government is now writing new chapter of development.

Speaking at the event, PM Modi said that when he laid the foundation stone of Purvanchal Expressway 3 years back, he had never thought that "I will land here on an aircraft one day". "Those who have any doubt on capabilities of UP, on capabilities of people of UP should come to Sultanpur today to witness their capability. Such a modern expressway has now come up where it was just a piece of land 3-4 years back," he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday inaugurated the 341-km Purvanchal Expressway in Uttar Pradesh after landing on the highway airstrip in an IAF C-130 Hercules plane. The 3.2-km airstrip has been constructed on the expressway to facilitate emergency landing of fighter aircraft. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's reaches Karwal Kheri in Sultanpur district to inaugurate the 341 Km long Purvanchal Expressway.

Uttar Pradesh BJP spokesperson Manish Shukla said that in December 2016, Akhilesh Yadav as the then CM gave hurried consent to development projects worth Rs 60,000 crore, of which Rs 15,000 crore was meant for the civil construction work of the Purvanchal Expressway. "However, the government of Yogi Adityanath brought down the cost of the civil construction work to Rs 11,000 crore, thereby saving Rs 4,000 crore. In other words, Akhilesh Yadav was planning to commit a loot of Rs 4,000 crore," he said. He added that the people of the state want to know how much amount Yadav was planning to loot.

Rejecting Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav's allegation of poor quality of work on the Purvanchal Expressway, the Uttar Pradesh unit of the BJP on Tuesday said he is troubled by the fact that the 341-km road is ready without corruption of even Re 1. In a tweet in Hindi, Uttar Pradesh BJP chief Swatantra Dev Singh said, "Akhilesh-ji is feeling troubled over the speed of the double engine government in UP. Akhilesh-ji is thinking how corruption of even one rupee has not been committed and the 341-km Purvanchal Expressway is ready. Had he been in power, he would have constructed a two-lane expressway, while the money meant for the rest of the four lanes would have filled his coffers."

Samajwadi Party national president and former CM Akhilesh Yadav has accused the Yogi Adityanath government of compromising on the quality of Purvanchal Expressway to cut down the project cost and inaugurate it before the polls to claim credit.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in a tweet said that with the Purvanchal Expressway becoming a medium of easy travel and the bridge of multilateral development, it will also become the backbone of Uttar Pradesh's economy. "Undoubtedly, this expressway will prove helpful in fulfilling the resolve of making the state 1 trillion USD economy under the guidance of the Prime Minister," he said.

The Purvanchal Expressway will traverse through nine districts of Uttar Pradesh, including Lucknow, Amethi, and Ghazipur. It will also connect important cities like Varanasi, Ayodhya, Gorakhpur and Allahabad through link roads.

PM Modi will land on 3.2 km airstrip of the Purvanchal Expressway in C-130J Super Hercules transport aircraft of the Indian Air Force. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will also be present at the event. The expressway starts from Lucknow and ends at Ghazipur. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to inaugurate the Purvanchal Expressway in Uttar Pradesh today.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate Purvanchal Expressway in Uttar Pradesh today. The PM took to twitter on Monday saying Tuesday is a 'special day' in UP's growth trajectory. “This project brings with it multiple benefits for u.p's economic and social progress. Purvanchal Expressway is 341-km long, begins at Chaudsarai village in Lucknow district on NH-731. Watch the full video for more," he tweeted.

Constructed at an estimated cost of about Rs 22,500 crore, the Purvanchal Expressway is set to give a boost to the economic development of the eastern part of Uttar Pradesh especially the districts of Lucknow, Barabanki, Amethi, Ayodhya, Sultanpur, Ambedkar Nagar, Azamgarh, Mau and Ghazipur.