594-Km Ganga Expressway To Become Operational Before Prayagraj Kumbh Mela 2025, Announces UP CM Yogi Adityanath

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has announced that the 594-km Ganga Expressway will become operational before Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj in 2025.

He also emphasized the state government's accomplishments in the past six years, citing the state's superior infrastructure and the existence of Purvanchal Expressway and Bundelkhand Expressway connecting Eastern UP.

On Saturday (25 March), the Yogi government successfully completed the first year of its second term.

With this, CM Yogi Adityanath has now become the only Chief Minister to rule the state for six consecutive years - five years in the previous term and one year in the current term.

CM Yogi marked the occasion by releasing a book titled 'Chhah Saal-UP Khushhal' which details his government's numerous achievements over six years.

Additionally, he unveiled a poster at the Lok Bhavan auditorium.

Addressing the media on the occasion, CM Yogi said that the state boasts the most metros in the country; currently running in five districts. A sixth metro, in Agra, will be opening in November-December.

The Chief Minister stated that in 2017, only two airports were fully operational while two others were partially operational. Presently, the state boasts of nine operational airports while 12 are being developed with the Airport Authority's approval for air connectivity.

Uttar Pradesh is set to have five international airports in two years, making it the first state to do so. Currently, three international airports are operational, with ongoing work at Ayodhya and Jewar International Airport which is expected to be functional by the end of 2023.

Yogi Adityanath highlighted that India's first waterway connecting Varanasi to Haldia was launched recently.

He shared that this new development brings the world's longest river cruise to Uttar Pradesh.

"Eastern Uttar Pradesh always regrets that there was no medium to connect with water, but today we have connected the eastern port from Banaras to Haldia. We are constantly making efforts to take the products of the farmers to the global markets," CM Yogi added, reports Economic Times.

The UP CM Further stated that their state is the top implementer of Central government’s schemes in the country. Uttar Pradesh ranks highest in sugarcane production and also in providing connections under the Ujjwala Yojana.

He revealed that 1.74 crore families in the state have already received free cooking gas connections under this scheme.

According to CM Yogi, Uttar Pradesh leads in multiple areas such as providing maintenance allowance to laborers and street vendors, and offering benefits from schemes including Atal Pension Yojana and Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Yojana.

The state also has the highest number of MSME units in the country with 96 lakh, acting as an industrial cornerstone of the state.

CM Yogi further stated that the state leads in making payments through DBT to farmers for agricultural inputs.

Uttar Pradesh has built the most medical colleges in the country and is working towards the goal of having at least one medical college in every district, he said.

Uttar Pradesh tops the list in food grain production and provision of toilets for the poor, according to CM Yogi.

The state has also become the first to recognise human-wildlife conflict as a disaster, and the initial implementer of the skill development policy, he said.

The UP Chief Minister stated that Uttar Pradesh leads in the execution of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, where 12.77 lakh poor people have been granted a house each in the state's urban and rural regions.

In addition, the state is at the top of the list in the country for implementing the state health policy.