Infrastructure improvements on the horizon: Two new e-ways and roads in the works

While capital expenditure doubled in the latest budget compared to the previous year, the allocation for infrastructure development and industrial support saw the biggest increase of Rs 23,709 crore from Rs 1,38,956 crore in the previous budget to Rs 1,62,665 crore. This year. 

 Apart from two new expressway projects – Jhansi Link Expressway and Chitrakoot Link Expressway – Finance Minister Suresh Khanna has allocated Rs 550 crore for existing projects like Defense Corridor and Bundelkhand Expressway. Additional allocations have also been made for the industrial corridor along the Gorakhpur Link Expressway (Rs. 200 billion) and six industrial manufacturing complexes planned along the Purvanchal and Bundelkhand Expressways. 

 Apart from Rs 21,160 crore for construction of major roads and bridges, the budget earmarked Rs 1,525 crore for rural roads and another Rs 1,000 crore for roads for religious places – Dharmarth Marg. 

For urban infrastructure, the government has allocated Rs 2,500 crore for metro development in four cities – Kanpur, Agra, Gorakhpur and Varanasi. In addition, Rs 150 crore has been earmarked for the Varanasi cable car project as a means of transport. 

 A significant Rs 1306 crore is proposed for the Delhi-Ghaziabad, Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System project corridor. In the urban infrastructure sector, 3,000 crores have been earmarked for the Prime Minister’s Urban Expansion and New Town Promotion Programme. 

 Budget also allocated funds for sports infrastructure which includes 20 crores for setting up new sports schools in Saharanpur, Fatehpur and Ballia and another 50 crores for other sports related infrastructure. The government has announced an allocation of Rs 30 crore for the Khelo India University Games this year. Another 300 crores were earmarked for setting up the Major Dhyan Chand Sports University in Meerut. 

 Gorakhpur, where Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath hails from, also received significant allocations in the budget, from the establishment of an industrial corridor on both sides of the highway to funds for the city’s metro rail project. Gorakhpur also got Rs 650 crore to acquire land for the restoration and maintenance of the Goddhoiya Nala and the famous Ramgarh Tal.