UP has moved from riots and curfews to rapid infrastructure growth and investment: CM Yogi

Hardoi : Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday said that before 2017, the state was gripped by dynastic politics, casteism, riots, and lawlessness, making it impossible to envision development, employment, or fresh investment.
Addressing a gathering in Hardoi on the occasion of Ganga Expressway inauguration, CM Adityanath stated that the situation has undergone a significant transformation over the past nine years under the “double-engine government,” with the state emerging as a hub of modern infrastructure and economic growth.
CM Yogi further noted that today the state boasts a vast and robust network of expressways, highways, and rural roads spanning nearly 4 lakh kilometres, which is playing a key role in accelerating development and attracting investment across sectors.
“Before 2017, Uttar Pradesh was trapped in dynastic politics and casteism, in riots, disorder, curfews, and an atmosphere where mafia influence ran parallel systems. In such a chaotic environment, one could not even imagine development, employment, or new investment. I am pleased to say that in the past nine years, the result of the double-engine government is visible in Uttar Pradesh today. We now see an excellent network of expressways, highways, and rural roads spanning 400,000 kilometres across the state,” said CM Yogi.
He highlighted that in December 2021, the Prime Minister had laid the foundation stone of a major expressway project, even as the country was battling the global COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the challenges, the government expedited land acquisition and ensured that the project moved forward with a clear vision and within a defined timeline.
The Chief Minister added that the effective implementation of policies with “clear intent and transparency” has helped translate the Prime Minister’s vision into reality on the ground. He asserted that Uttar Pradesh is now moving forward on the path of growth, leaving behind its past challenges and establishing itself as a major contributor to the country’s progress.
“In December 2021, the Prime Minister laid the foundation stone of this expressway. During that period of the global COVID-19 pandemic, along with carrying out the land acquisition process, the Prime Minister gave Uttar Pradesh the vision to take this entire project forward and complete it within a defined timeframe. Today, as we witness a New India across the country, this modern infrastructure in the new Uttar Pradesh is not only making our transportation easier but is also giving a new height to our economy. This has been possible because the Prime Minister’s vision was effectively implemented on the ground through clear policies and honest intent under his guidance,” he said.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Ganga Expressway in Uttar Pradesh’s Hardoi district, built at a total cost of around Rs 36,230 crore.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Uttar Pradesh BJP President Pankaj Choudhary were also present on the occasion.
According to the PMO, the Ganga Expressway is a 594-kilometre-long, six-lane (expandable to eight lanes), access-controlled greenfield high-speed corridor. The expressway traverses 12 districts- Meerut, Bulandshahr, Hapur, Amroha, Sambhal, Badaun, Shahjahanpur, Hardoi, Unnao, Raebareli, Pratapgarh, and Prayagraj-thereby connecting Western, Central, and Eastern regions of Uttar Pradesh through a single seamless high-speed corridor.
The project is expected to significantly reduce travel time between Meerut and Prayagraj from the current 10-12 hours to approximately six hours, enhancing ease of movement and efficiency in transportation.
A key highlight of the project is the provision of a 3.5 km-long Emergency Landing Facility (airstrip) in Shahjahanpur district. This dual-use infrastructure enhances national security preparedness and adds strategic value beyond economic benefits.
The Ganga Expressway is envisioned as a major economic corridor, with the development of Integrated Manufacturing and Logistics Corridors over approximately 2,635 hectares across the 12 districts along its alignment. The expressway will reduce logistics costs, improve supply chain efficiency, and boost manufacturing competitiveness, a press release by the PMO stated.
The project aims to provide farmers with direct access to urban and export markets, facilitating better price realisation and strengthening rural incomes. The project is also expected to boost tourism and generate direct and indirect employment opportunities across the region.
The expressway will also serve as a backbone for a broader expressway network in the state, with several link corridors either operational or planned, including the Agra-Lucknow Expressway, Jewar Link Expressway, Farrukhabad Link Expressway, and the proposed extension from Meerut to Haridwar. This emerging expressway grid will expand high-speed road connectivity across Uttar Pradesh from East to West and from North to South, enabling balanced regional development.
Prime Minister Modi also planted a sapling earlier today, in Hardoi.