New Delhi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today inaugurated Bundelkhand Expressway in Kaitheri village in Orai tehsil of Jalaun, Uttar Pradesh.

The 296 Km, four-lane expressway has been constructed within 28 months at a cost of around Rs 14,850 crores, under the aegis of Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA). It can later be expanded up to six lanes. The expressway extends from NH-35 at Gonda village near Bharatkoop in Chitrakoot district to near Kudrail village in Etawah district, where it merges with the Agra-Lucknow expressway. It passes through seven districts, Chitrakoot, Banda, Mahoba, Hamirpur, Jalaun, Auraiya and Etawah.

Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister said that the expressway has reduced the distance from Chitrakoot to Delhi by three to four hours but its benefit is much more than this. This expressway will not only give speed to vehicles here, but will also accelerate the industrial progress of entire Bundelkhand.He recalled the glorious traditon of hard-work, valor and cultural richness of Bundelkhand region. He said “the land that produced countless warriors, where the devotion for India flows in blood, the prowess and hard work of local sons and daughters have always brightened the name of the country.”

The Prime Minister said that gone are the days when such great infrastructure and facilities were limited to large cities and some areas of the country. Now under the spirit of Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas, even the remote and neglected areas are witnessing unprecedented connectivity. He said that because of the expressway, the region will see many opportunities of development, employment and self employment.

He said that connectivity projects in Uttar Pradesh are connecting many areas which have been ignored in the past. For example, Bundelkhand Expressway passes through seven districts, viz. Chitrakoot, Banda, Mahoba, Hamirpur, Jalaun, Auraiya and Etawah. Similarly, other Expressways are connecting every nook and corner of the state, leading to a situation where, “every corner of Uttar Pradesh is ready to move forward with new dreams and new resolutions”. The double-engine government is working in that direction with renewed viogour, he said.

The foundation stone for the construction of Bundelkhand Expressway was laid by the Prime Minister on February 29, 2020. 

Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath, State Ministers and members of Parliament were among those present on the occasion