Centre okays ₹1,263 cr for UP development projects
PROGRESS Venkaiah Naidu orders release of funds for DelhiMeerut rapid transit system, Lucknow Metro and the Smart City project
Union minister for urban development M Venkaiah Naidu reviewed the implementation of central schemes here on Friday. During the review, the previous Samajwadi Party government got flak for ‘not cooperating with the centre’.
Uttar Pradesh may now get the centre’s nod for many new projects. Besides, the implementation of already launched metro rail projects, including the Lucknow Metro, may be expedited.
Apart from a rapid transit system between Delhi and Meerut, the new projects are likely to include new FM stations, live telecast of state assembly proceedings and some departments of Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) Pune.
“UP has been lagging behind in implementation of central schemes. But things have changed now,” Naidu said at a joint press conference with Adityanath. He handed over orders for release of ₹1263 crore to the chief minister.
This includes ₹446 crore for Lucknow Metro project, ₹375 crore for Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) and ₹482 crore for the Smart City project. After the meeting, Adityanatyh said while speaking to reporters, “Work on the first phase of the metro, about eight kilometres, is nearing completion. The procedure that includes the railway safety commissioner’s clearance will need about one and a half months. We will be able to complete all these procedures only after mid-June 2017.”
He also said there was a need to set up metro rail in Kanpur and Varanasi.
“We have sent the detailed project reports (DPRs) for the Kanpur and Varanasi projects. We have also initiated the process of preparing the DPR for Meerut, Agra and Allahabad. We have asked for preparation of DPR for metro rail projects in Jhansi and Gorakhpur too,” he added.