UP govt speeds up land acquisition process for Gorakhpur link expressway

The mega project spanning four districts viz. Gorakhpur, Sant Kabir Nagar, Ambedkar Nagar and Azamgarh is estimated to cost more than Rs 5,800 crore.

It is estimated to benefit a total population of 5 crore in Gorakhpur, and adjoining districts by providing a fast connectivity for public and movement of goods, including agricultural and industrial.

UP Expressway Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA), the nodal agency for the execution of the project, has released Rs 275 crore to speed up land acquisition for the infra project, which is among the flagship projects of the Yogi Adityanath government.

According to UPEIDA CEO Awanish Kumar Awasthi here on Monday, of the Rs 275 crore, Rs 50 crore, Rs 153 crore and Rs 52 crore would be paid to land owners in Gorakhpur, Ambedkar Nagar and Azamgarh districts respectively.

The funds have already been allocated to the respective district magistrates with the rider to settle land acquisition dues of farmers within a month; so that the ongoing civil and other construction works on the expressway continued without delay and that there were no pending grievances of the land owners.

The Gorakhpur Link Expressway was divided into two packages.

Earlier, public sector Punjab National Bank (PNB) had provided a credit of Rs 750 crore for Gorakhpur Link Expressway, which will link the region with another mega expressway project underway, 340 km Purvanchal Expressway.

So far, the state government has arranged Rs 2,250 crore in total loans for Gorakhpur Link Expressway, including Rs 750 crore fresh borrowings from the PNB.

While, the PNB has provided a loan of Rs 750 crore for Gorakhpur Link Expressway, earlier Rs 2,300 crore was also extended in credit for Purvanchal Expressway, which is estimated to cost Rs 23,000 crore.

Purvanchal Expressway was divided into eight packages, and awarded to different companies for ensuring time-bound completion. It runs across nine districts viz. Lucknow, Barabanki, Faizabad, Ambedkarnagar, Amethi, Sultanpur, Azamgarh, Mau and Ghazipur.

Gorakhpur Link Expressway is the fifth Greenfield expressway project in the state after Yamuna Expressway, Agra-Lucknow Expressway, Purvanchal Expressway and Bundelkhand Expressway.