UP Govt To Establish Industrial Corridors Along Expressways

In its effort to enhance statewide connectivity through the construction of new expressways, the Uttar Pradesh government is simultaneously transforming them into industrial corridors. With a budget exceeding Rs 7000 crore, the government is actively working on establishing industrial centres along these expressways.

Under the guidance of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) has been tasked with identifying suitable sites for these industrial centres. The plan entails the creation of such centres along five expressways in the state: the Agra-Lucknow Expressway, Purvanchal Expressway, Bundelkhand Expressway, Gorakhpur Link Expressway, and Ganga Expressway.

UPEIDA presented details of the identified industrial corridors along these five expressways to the Chief Minister in a high-level meeting on Saturday. According to this, 11 sites have been chosen for industrial corridors along the Ganga Expressway, which connects a total of 12 districts in the state, with a total area of 1522 hectares. The estimated expenditure on this is around Rs 2300 crore. 

Similarly, 6 sites have been identified along the Bundelkhand Expressway connecting 7 districts. The proposed area for this is 1884 hectares, with an estimated expenditure of more than Rs 1500 crore.

Similarly, 5 sites have been selected in 10 districts connected to the Agra-Lucknow Expressway. The total area for this is 532 hectares, and the estimated expenditure for its development is around Rs 650 crore. Meanwhile, 5 places have been identified for the industrial corridor on the Purvanchal Expressway connecting 9 districts, the proposed area of which is 1586 hectares and the estimated expenditure is likely to be Rs 2300 crore. 

The fifth and final expressway is the Gorakhpur Link Expressway. For this, 2 sites have been chosen in 4 districts for industrial centres, with a total area of 345 hectares and an estimated expenditure of Rs 320 crore. In total, more than 30 sites have been identified along these five expressways, with a total area exceeding 5800 hectares.

All 108 villages associated with the identified 30 sites by UPEIDA have been notified by the state government. Additionally, Rs 200 crore has been released to the respective 6 District Magistrates for land purchase. Moreover, an order has also been issued to release Rs 1500 crore on the lines of Bundelkhand Industrial Authority for purchasing land. Determining the rates for purchasing land at the district level is currently underway.

It is noteworthy that Uttar Pradesh is the state with the highest number of expressways in the country. Currently Purvanchal Expressway, Bundelkhand Expressway, Agra-Lucknow Expressway, Noida-Greater Noida Expressway, Meerut-Delhi Expressway and Yamuna Expressway are operational in the state. 

Additionally, construction is progressing rapidly on Gorakhpur Link Expressway, Ballia Link Expressway, Ganga Expressway, Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway, Delhi-Saharanpur-Dehradun Expressway, Ghaziabad-Kanpur Expressway, and Gorakhpur-Siliguri Expressway. 

Similar to the development activities along the Yamuna Expressway, where industrial centres are being established through various commercial and residential schemes, including Noida International Airport, film city, toy park, and logistics park, similar activities are anticipated along the other expressways.