LUCKNOW: Issuing directives to the authorities of the Uttar Pradesh Industrial Expressway Development Authority (UPEIDA) to expedite work on the Ganga Expressway and complete the project by December this year, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath asked officials to cancel land allotments in the UP Defence Industrial Corridor if investors fail to begin work within three years.
He also ordered a transparent monitoring system to track land use and investor progress.
Chairing a high-level review meeting of UPEIDA late Wednesday evening, CM Yogi said land allocations should not remain idle and that new facilities should be provided only where there is genuine development.
“If an investor fails to utilise the allotted land within three years, the allocation should automatically be cancelled,” he said, cautioning officials against land hoarding and instructing them to ensure timely execution of projects.
Officials were asked to set up a clear, accountable system to monitor progress and to grant further concessions only on demonstrable milestones.
As per UPEIDA authorities, investment proposals worth about Rs 30,819 crore have been received for the defence corridor, and 5,039 acres of land have already been acquired. “Several companies have begun operations at corridor sites,” officials said.
The CM also emphasised the establishment of skill development centres at every node — Lucknow, Kanpur, Jhansi, Agra, Aligarh and Chitrakoot — to train local youth for technical roles in defence production.
Turning to road infrastructure, Yogi described expressways as “the backbone of Uttar Pradesh’s economy” and urged officials to expedite work on the Ganga Expressway, directing that construction be completed by December.
The review also covered proposed extensions, including the Meerut–Haridwar, Noida–Jewar and Chitrakoot–Rewa link expressways, as well as new projects such as the Vindhya Expressway and the Vindhya–Purvanchal link to improve connectivity between Prayagraj, Mirzapur, Varanasi, Chandauli and Sonbhadra.
The meeting reviewed UPEIDA’s time-bound plan to attract investment into industrial clusters and logistics parks along the expressways, including provision for reliable power and water, truck terminals, waystations, and health and emergency facilities.
Officials said implementation would be closely monitored and linked to land-use milestones so that infrastructure and investment translate into jobs and regional development.
