New Delhi/Varanasi, 29 April (H.S.): Prime Minister Narendra Modi will dedicate the Ganga Expressway to the nation today in Hardoi, Uttar Pradesh. He concluded a two-day visit to the northeastern state of Sikkim yesterday evening and arrived in his parliamentary constituency of Varanasi for a two-day tour, having gifted projects worth over ₹4,000 crore to the state—often hailed as the paradise of the Northeast—before departing, as per a government release.

According to the release, Prime Minister Modi reached Varanasi yesterday evening and participated in a women's conference. He brought development projects worth approximately ₹6,350 crore for Uttar Pradesh. This morning, around 8:30 a.m., he will perform prayers at the Kashi Vishwanath Temple before proceeding to Hardoi for the expressway's inauguration at approximately 11:30 a.m., followed by an address to a public gathering.

The Ganga Expressway represents a landmark achievement in India's world-class infrastructure development. Spanning 594 kilometers as a 6-lane (expandable to 8-lane) access-controlled greenfield high-speed corridor, it has been constructed at a cost of about ₹36,230 crore. It traverses 12 districts—Meerut, Bulandshahr, Hapur, Amroha, Sambhal, Badaun, Shahjahanpur, Hardoi, Unnao, Raebareli, Pratapgarh, and Prayagraj—seamlessly linking western, central, and eastern Uttar Pradesh.

Travel time between Meerut and Prayagraj will now shrink from the current 10-12 hours to about 6 hours. A key feature is the 3.5-kilometer emergency landing facility (airstrip) in Shahjahanpur district, which bolsters national security preparedness while offering strategic significance alongside economic benefits.

Conceived as a major economic corridor, the expressway will see integrated manufacturing and logistics hubs developed across approximately 2,635 hectares in the 12 districts it spans. It will reduce logistics costs, enhance supply chain efficiency, and boost manufacturing competitiveness. Improved connectivity will provide farmers direct access to urban and export markets, securing better prices and augmenting rural incomes.

Moreover, the project is expected to spur tourism, unlock new economic opportunities, and generate direct and indirect employment across the region. Serving as the backbone of Uttar Pradesh's extensive expressway network, the Ganga Expressway transcends mere transportation; it is a transformative initiative that will lower logistics costs, attract industrial investments, promote agriculture and rural incomes, create jobs, and accelerate the state's overall economic growth.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar