UP govt expedites central schemes ahead of PM’s visit

LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh government has intensified monitoring of centrally-funded schemes in view of the proposed visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Varanasi next week, an official associated with project monitoring panel said.

Instructions have been issued to officials to shortlist projects/ schemes where 90 per cent work has been done and prepare them for inauguration in the next 15 days.

The official said monitoring had been intensified in around a dozen development and infrastructure initiatives of the central government under Smart City Mission, Namami Gange Project and the National Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana (Hriday).

Chief secretary Rajive Kumar who reviewed the progress of projects under Namami Gange on Saturday said work on six projects (five in Allahabad and one in Kannauj) had been completed and four others would be ready soon.

“The Centre has allocated ₹11,000 crore under Amrit Yojana out of which projects worth ₹4,000 crore have been approved for UP,” he said.

Kumar directed the officials to expedite preparation of detailed project reports for remaining schemes and set a deadline of June 30 to commence work on them. He said projects underway in Allahabad, Kanpur, Varanasi should be expedited keeping Kumbh Mela in view.

Principal secretary, urban development, Manoj Kumar Singh said five sewage treatment plants had been set up under the Namami Gange Project.