Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday inaugurated the 91.35 km-long Gorakhpur Link Expressway in Azamgarh, a key infrastructure project aimed at improving regional connectivity by linking several districts with Gorakhpur.
During the event, he lauded the progress made under his government and reiterated the commitment to achieving the vision of 'Viksit Bharat' by 2047.
Reflecting on the transformation of Uttar Pradesh over the years, the Chief Minister emphasized the shift in perception the state has undergone.
“The double engine government of the BJP is working to fulfil the goal of 'Viksit Bharat' by 2047...Uttar Pradesh has now made its reputation as a state with expressways from a 'Bimaru' state...Eight years ago, people were afraid to take the name of Azamgarh, UP...Azamgarh has now joined the path of development...Purvanchal Expressway was inaugurated by PM Modi in 2021", he said.
Taking a dig at previous administrations, CM Yogi pointed out that the work on major expressway projects remained incomplete before his tenure. He contrasted this with his government’s success in completing several major infrastructure initiatives.
“The work on the Agra Lucknow Expressway was half done. Today I am happy to tell you that we have completed six projects. You are witnessing the journey of the Purvanchal Expressway. We are continuously building it since 2021. In 2022, the Bundelkhand Expressway has been started. It is 300 km long. The 340 km long Purvanchal Expressway has already been completed and its connectivity to Patna is about to be completed. Now remember how easy the connectivity from Patna to Lucknow and Lucknow to Delhi will become,” he remarked.
Recalling India's freedom struggle, the Chief Minister invoked the name of 1857 revolutionary Veer Kunwar Singh, imagining the impact of modern infrastructure back then.
“When Veer Kunwar Singh, the hero of the first war of independence in 1857, fought the British till Azamgarh to defeat them, there was no connectivity. If this Purvanchal Expressway had been there at that time, the people of Azamgarh would have beaten the British along with Veer Kunwar Singh and then this country would have become independent in 1857 itself. There was no connectivity at that time,” he said.
CM Yogi also praised Azamgarh MP Dinesh Lal Yadav Nirahua for securing development projects for the region. He highlighted the approval of a music college in Hariharpur and criticized opposition parties for neglecting the district’s cultural and artistic heritage. “He was sent to the country's parliament, and as soon as Dinesh Lal Yadav became an MP, we approved a music college in Hariharpur. Just think, in Hariharpur, a gharana of this music needed recognition. The Kayan Badal dance was performed by all the MLAs here together, but those who had made Azamgarh a stronghold of terror could not find them. They did not have enough time to honour black pottery, to honour the sarees of Azamgarh, to honour the music department of Hariharpur village, to give a university to Azamgarh, to connect Azamgarh with air connectivity", CM Yogi added.
With these developments, the Chief Minister projected a vision of a more connected and developed Uttar Pradesh, one that has left behind its earlier image and embraced rapid infrastructure growth.