Infra push: Two new e-ways, roads & Metros

Apart from the Rs 21,160-crore allocation for the construction of bigger roads and bridges, the budget also provides Rs 1,525 crore for rural roads and another Rs 1,000 crore for roads to religious places — Dharmarth Marg.

For urban infrastructure, the government has made Rs 2500 crore provision for the development of Metro rail in four cities– Kanpur, Agra, Gorakhpur and Varanasi. Further, Rs 150 crore provision has been made for a ropeway project in Varanasi as a mode of transportation.

A significant sum of Rs 1,306 crore has been proposed for the Delhi-Ghaziabad, Meerut, corridor of the Regional Rapid Transit System project. In the urban infrastructure development sector, Rs 3,000 crore has been set aside for the “Chief Minister Urban Expansion and New City promotion scheme”.

The budget has also set aside money for sports infrastructure, which includes Rs 20 crore for establishing new sports colleges in Saharanpur, Fatehpur and Ballia, while another Rs 50 crore for other sports-related infrastructure. The government announced that for Khelo India University Games, which will be held this year, Rs 30 crore has been allotted. Another Rs 300 crore has been allocated for the establishment of Major Dhyan Chand Sports University in Meerut.

Gorakhpur, from where Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath hails, has also got significant provisions in the Budget right from setting up of industrial corridor on both sides of the expressway, to funds for a metro rail project in the city. Gorakhpur has also got a Rs 650 crore provision to acquire land for the renovation and treatment of Goddhoiya Nala and the famous Ramgarh Tal.