The Uttar Pradesh (UP) government has earmarked nearly Rs 45,000 crore for investments in highways and tertiary roads in the current financial year 2024-25 (FY25). This move would expedite passenger and cargo movement in the state.
These projects encompass bridges and over-bridges across the 75 districts of the state. Of the proposed Rs 45,000 crore, the public works department (PWD) will spend nearly Rs 34,000 crore, or 75 per cent.
The remaining Rs 11,000 crore will be incurred on projects in the villages, tehsils, block headquarters, international/interstate border roads, roads in sugar mill and industrial areas, as well as roads under ‘Dharmarth’ (religious tourist circuit) project.
The Yogi government, in this year’s Budget, had made provisions for the road and highway projects. Moreover, Rs 800 crore was allocated for road projects in the industrial and logistics park corridors in UP.
“Of the total Budget for roads, about Rs 1,750 crore would be spent on projects under the ‘Dharmarth’ circuit this year,” a senior government official said.
The state has employed a GPS-based monitoring system for such projects to preempt time and cost overruns. The roads are geo-tagged for financial propriety in the allocation of funds to developers.
The UP Expressway Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) is the nodal agency for these expressway projects, and PWD is mandated for the extensive network of state highways, district and tertiary roads.