Prime Minister's Office
English rendering of PM’s address at inauguration of Purvanchal Expressway
Bharat Mata Ki Jai! Bharat Mata Ki Jai! Bharat Mata Ki Jai!
I bow to the people of the land on which Lord Hanuman killed Kalanemi. In the 1857 struggle, the people of the area fought the British bravely. The land carries the fragrance of the independence struggle. Who can forget the battle of Koiripur? Today this holy land is getting the gift of Purvanchal Expressway which you were waiting for long. Many congratulations to all of you.
Governor of Uttar Pradesh Smt. Anandiben Patel ji, the energetic, high-spirited and Karmayogi Chief Minister of UP, Yogi Adityanath ji, UP BJP President Shri Swatantra Dev ji, Ministers in UP government Shri Jaipratap Singh ji and Shri Dharamveer Prajapati ji, my fellow sister in Parliament Maneka Gandhi ji,other public representatives and my dear brothers and sisters!
If anybody all over the world has any doubt about the potential of UP and its people, he can come to Sultanpur and see for himself. A modern expressway is now passing through what was just a piece of land three-four years ago. When I laid the foundation stone of Purvanchal Expressway three years ago, I had never thought that I will land here on an aircraft one day. This expressway will take Uttar Pradesh towards a better future at a rapid pace. This expressway is the expressway of UP's development. This expressway is the expressway of UP's progress. This expressway is the expressway of a new UP. This expressway is the expressway of UP’s growing economy. This expressway is the reflection of modernized facilities in UP. This expressway is the holy manifestation of UP's strong will. This expressway is a living proof of the accomplishment of resolutions in UP. This is the pride and wonder of UP. I feel blessed to dedicate Purvanchal Expressway to the people of Uttar Pradesh today.
Friends,
Balanced development of the country is equally necessary for the overall development of the country. The inequality where some regions march ahead in the race of development while some others fall behind by several decades is not good for any country. The eastern part of India and the states of the North East did not benefit as much from the development of the country as they should have despite so much potential. Not much attention was paid to the overall development of UP due to politics and the way the governments functioned for a long time. This region of UP was handed over to the mafia and its citizens to poverty.
I am happy that this region is writing a new chapter of development. I congratulate the energetic and karmayogi Chief Minister of UP, Yogi Adityanath ji, his team and the people of UP for the Purvanchal Expressway. I congratulate my farmer brothers and sisters whose land has been used for this expressway, the workers who have sweated and the skills of the engineers.
Brothers and sisters,
The nation’s prosperity is as important as our national security. In a short while, we are going to witness how Purvanchal Expressway has become a new strength for our Air Force in case of emergency. In a short while from now, our fighter planes will make their landing on the Purvanchal Expressway. The roar of these planes will also be for those who neglected defence infrastructure of the country for decades.
Friends,
The fertile land of Uttar Pradesh, the hard work and skills of its people is phenomenal. And I am not reading out from any book. I am speaking what I have seen and got from the people with whom I have developed a relationship as an MP of UP. Such a large region is blessed with Ganga ji and other rivers. The situation that existed here seven-eight years ago made me wonder why some people were punishing UP and for what reason. In 2014, when all of you, Uttar Pradesh and the country gave me an opportunity to serve this great land of India, I went into the details of the development of UP as it was my duty as an MP and as a ‘pradhan sevak’.
I started several initiatives for UP. The poor should get pucca houses, they should have toilets, women do not have to go out to defecate in the open, everyone should have electricity in their homes; there were several such works which needed to be done here. But I am very pained that the government which was in UP then did not support me. Moreover, they feared losing their vote bank even standing next to me in public. When I would come here as MP, they would come to welcome me at the airport and would disappear soon after that. They were ashamed because they did not have anything to give an account of their performance.
I knew the previous governments before Yogi ji took over would be removed by the people from the path of development of UP forever because the injustice they meted out to people, discriminated on development and served their families’ interests. And you did it in 2017. By giving a thumping majority, you gave a chance to Yogiji and Modiji to serve you.
Looking at the development works being done in UP today, I can say that the fate of this region has started changing and it is going to change at a fast pace. Who can forget the number of power cuts in UP earlier? Do you remember or not? Who can forget what was the law and order situation in UP? Who can forget what was the condition of medical facilities in UP? Such was the situation in UP that roads led to nowhere and people were being looted. Now those who used to loot are in jails. Instead of robberies, new roads are being constructed in UP. In the last four-and-a-half years in UP, whether in the East or the West, thousands of villages have been connected by new roads and thousands of kilometers of new roads have been built. Now with the cooperation of all of you, with the active participation of the Uttar Pradesh government, the dream of development in UP seems to be coming true. Today, new medical colleges, AIIMS and modern educational institutions are being built in UP. Just a few weeks back, Kushinagar International Airport was inaugurated and today I have the privilege of handing over the Purvanchal Expressway to you.
Brothers and sisters,
This expressway will benefit the poor and middle class, farmers and traders. It will benefit the labor class and also the entrepreneurs, i.e. Dalits, deprived, backwards, farmers, youth, middle class, every person will benefit from it. It gave employment to thousands of colleagues while it was under construction and now that it is ready it will lead to creation of millions of new jobs.
Friends,
It was also a fact that cities were largely cut off from each other in a vast state like UP. People going to different parts either for work or meeting relatives had to suffer due to absence of proper connectivity. Reaching Lucknow for the people of the East was like winning the Mahabharata. Development for the previous chief ministers was limited to the places where their families lived. But as much as the recognition is there for the West today, there is a priority for Purvanchal as well. Purvanchal Expressway is bridging this gap and connecting UP with each other. With the construction of this expressway, people of Awadh, Purvanchal as well as Bihar will also be benefited. The commute from Delhi to Bihar will become easier.
And I would like to draw your attention towards one more thing. The specialty of the 340 km Purvanchal Expressway is not just that it will connect Lucknow, Barabanki, Amethi, Sultanpur, Ayodhya, Ambedkar Nagar, Mau, Azamgarh and Ghazipur. Its specialty is that this expressway will connect Lucknow to those cities which have immense aspiration and potential for development. The UP government under the leadership of Yogi ji may have spent more than 22,000 crore rupees on this expressway, but it will become a medium to attract industries worth lakhs of crores of rupees here. I have no idea whether the media friends who are here have paid attention to the fact that the new expressways which are coming up in UP will connect so many cities. The 300-km Bundelkhand Expressway will connect cities like Chitrakoot, Banda, Hamirpur, Mahoba, Jalaun, Auraiya and Etawah. The 90-km Gorakhpur Link Expressway will connect Gorakhpur, Ambedkar Nagar, Sant Kabir Nagar and Azamgarh. Similarly, the 600-km Ganga Expressway will connect Meerut, Hapur, Bulandshahr, Amroha, Sambhal, Badaun, Shahjahanpur, Hardoi, Unnao, Rae Bareli, Pratapgarh, and Prayagraj. Now think of these small cities, you tell me, how many of these cities are considered as big metro cities? How many of these cities are being connected with other cities of the state? The people of UP know the answer to these questions and understand these things. This kind of work is being carried out in UP for the first time after independence. For the first time, modern connectivity is being prioritized in these cities symbolizing the aspirations of Uttar Pradesh. Brothers and sisters, you also know that where good roads and highways reach, the pace of development accelerates and job creation happens faster.
Friends,
Better connectivity and connection of every corner of UP is necessary for its industrial development. I am happy that today Yogi ji's government is committed to these projects without any discrimination and is working with the mantra of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas'. As soon as the expressways are getting ready in UP, work on industrial corridor is also starting simultaneously. Many new industries will be set up near the Purvanchal Express very soon and 21 places have already been identified. In the near future, the activities related to food processing, milk products, cold storage, warehousing etc will accelerate in the cities situated along these expressways. These new expressways in UP are going to give new energy and become the centre of new attraction for industries related to agriculture like fruits, vegetables, grains, animal husbandry and industries related to pharmaceutical, electrical, textile, handloom, metal, furniture, petrochemical sector etc.
Friends,
Work has also begun to prepare manpower required for these industries. ITIs, other education and training institutes, medical institutes etc will also be set up in these cities. Many employment options for the youth of UP will be created in the near future whether it is agriculture or industry. The Defense Corridor being built in UP is also going to bring new employment opportunities here. I am sure these infrastructure projects will give new heights to the economy here in the near future.
Brothers and sisters,
When a person builds a house, his first concern is about the roads; he examines the soil and considers other aspects. But we have seen a long period of governments in UP making statements and showing dreams regarding big-scale industrialization without worrying about connectivity. As a result, many factories were shut down in the absence of necessary facilities. Unfortunately, dynasties ruled both Delhi and Lucknow. The long years of partnership between dynasties trampled the aspirations of UP. Brothers and sisters, the same thing happened with the son of Sultanpur, Sripati Mishra ji. Cronies of these families insulted him who had such a vast ground experience and hard work was his only capital. The people of UP can never forget the humiliation of such karmayogis.
Friends,
Today, the double engine government in UP is working considering the common people of UP as their family. While running the factories and mills which were set up here in an efficient manner, new investment environment is being created for new factories. Importantly, the plans are not made only for five years in UP, but infrastructure is being created for a prosperous Uttar Pradesh keeping in mind the needs of this decade. The idea behind the Eastern and Western Dedicated Freight Corridors is to connect the state with the eastern and the western coastline. These special routes for goods trains will enable the produce of the farmers of UP and the goods made in the factories to reach the world markets. This will benefit our farmers, traders, businessmen and every such small and big colleague.
Brothers and sisters,
I would also like to appreciate the people of UP for doing excellent work regarding corona vaccination. UP has led not only the country but the world by administering 14 crore corona vaccines. Many countries of the world do not even have such a population.
Friends,
I would also appreciate the people of UP for not allowing any political propaganda against the vaccines made in India. The people of UP defeated the conspiracy of playing with the health of the people here. And the people of UP will continue to defeat them in the same way.
Brothers and sisters,
Our government is working day and night for the all-round development of UP. Along with connectivity, top priority is also being given to basic facilities in UP. It has benefited our sisters and the women power mostly. Poor sisters who are getting their own pucca houses in their name are getting an identity and are also spared from the scorching summers, rains and extreme cold. Mothers and sisters used to suffer the most in the absence of electricity and gas connections. The free electricity and gas connections provided under the Saubhagya and Ujjwala schemes also took care of these problems. Our sisters and daughters faced many problems both at home and school in the absence of toilets. There is happiness in the house now and daughters too study in schools without any hesitation.
So many generations of mothers and sisters have passed while suffering from the drinking water problem. Now water is being supplied to every household through pipes. In just two years, the UP government has provided tap water to about 30 lakh rural families and this year the double engine government is committed to provide pure drinking water to lakhs of sisters at their homes.
Brothers and sisters,
Even in the absence of health facilities, if anyone had to suffer the most, then it was our mothers and sisters. The concern about expenses regarding the health of their children and the family was such that they avoided their own treatment. But our sisters and daughters have got a huge relief from facilities like the Ayushman Bharat scheme, new hospitals and medical colleges.
Friends,
I can see some people losing their mind when such double benefits accrue due to the double engine government. It is very natural for them to get disturbed. Those who remained unsuccessful in their stints can’t see and digest the success of Yogi ji.
Brothers and sisters,
Without paying any heed to their noise, it is our duty to be engaged in nation building with the spirit of service, this is our karma Ganga and we will continue to create an atmosphere of ‘Sujalam, Sufalam’. I am sure we will continue to get your love and blessings. Once again many congratulations to you for Purvanchal Expressway.
Say with me with full strength
Bharat Mata Ki Jai
Bharat Mata Ki Jai
Bharat Mata Ki Jai
Many thanks!
DISCLAIMER: This is the approximate translation of PM’s speech. Original speech was delivered in Hindi.