UP for semi high-speed rail corridor along two e-ways
For feasibility report for development along Agra-Lko and Purvanchal Expressways
LUCKNOW : The Yogi Adityanath government has asked RITES for a feasibility report and technical help for development of a semi high-speed rail corridor along the Agra-Lucknow Expressway and the Purvanchal Expressway.
“Contract has been made with RITES for the required feasibility report and technical help for development of a semi high-speed rail corridor along the Agra-Lucknow Expressway and the Purvanchal Expressway,” reads the booklet titled ‘Bharose Ke Dhai Saal’ that chief minister Yogi Adityanath released on the completion of two-and-a-half-years of his government in Lucknow on Thursday.
“After continuous efforts by the higher officials of the railway department, it has been decided to construct semi high-speed rail corridor along the expressways,” the booklet read.
About the defence corridor, the booklet says Aligarh, Chitrakoot, Lucknow, Jhansi and Kanpur have been identified for the project and around 5071.19 hectare land has been proposed for all the six nodes. In Jhansi, 92.48% land has been acquired while 89.41% land has been acquired in Chitrakoot. In Aligarh, all the land has been acquired. So far, 43 defence equipment manufacturers have shown interest in the project. The Center of Excellence, Defence Food Research and Manufacturing Plant, the Defence Innovation Hub, the Defence Administrative Hub and the MSME Park have been proposed to be set up at the Aligarh node near New Delhi. The Manufacturing Maintenance and Overhaul (MMO) of Armed and Military Vehicles, Defence Knowledge Center for Technical Training and MSME Park are proposed to be set up at the Jhansi node. Maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facilities and technical textile units for radar UAVs and the defence industry are proposed to be set up at the Chitrakoot node near the major defence units of Jhansi and Kanpur. The booklet claimed there was an improvement in the law and order situation. It was due to improvement in the law and order situation that the UP Investors’ Summit was organised smoothly (in February 2018), the booklet added. A total of 1045 MoUs worth Rs 4.28 lakh crore were signed on the occasion. An investment of Rs 62,000 crore was made in the ground breaking ceremony while projects of Rs 65,000 crore were launched at the second ground breaking ceremony.
Chief minister Yogi Adityanath, while speaking to media persons, too had claimed an improvement in the law and order situation. He said there was a decline in crime rate in 2018 visà-vis 2017, with incidents of dacoity going down by 53.7%, rape by 35.06%, murder by 14.05%, loot by 44.05% and kidnapping for ransom by 30.43% in the state. He said the state government was dealing with criminals with an iron hand.
He also said the state government had been working on doing away with the use of plastic for the past one year. The Mati Kala Board Scheme was launched by the Khadi and Village Industries Board in the interest of those pursuing pottery. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set the goal of a plastic-free India. There will be a complete ban on six plastic products, including plastic bags and cups, on Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary.
The booklet said PM Modi proposed to make the country completely plastic-free by the year 2022.
UP is the first state in the country to achieve this goal and had banned plastic altogether, the booklet said. It said the sewers got choked and rivers became polluted due to plastic, adding that water sources (wells, ponds and ponds) were in a bad state because of plastic. In order to reduce pollution, it was necessary to ban the single-use plastic, the booklet said.