The Yogi government of Uttar Pradesh has approved many historic decisions in the interest of the people of the state in the cabinet meeting held on Tuesday. A total of 24 important proposals were approved in this meeting chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The most prominent decisions include the facility of free travel in Uttar Pradesh Transport Corporation (Roadways) buses for women aged 60 years and above and the approval of Jhansi Link Expressway, which will provide high-speed connectivity to the Bundelkhand region.
On one hand, the government has taken a big step towards making the travel of senior women easy and accessible, on the other hand, it has made extensive preparations to firmly connect the entire Bundelkhand with the state's expressway network through Jhansi Link Expressway.
Bus fare reduced to zero for women above 60 years of age
Yogi Cabinet has given its formal approval to 'Lokmata Ahilyabai Matrushakti Yojana'. Under this public welfare scheme, women of Uttar Pradesh aged 60 years or above will get the gift of free travel for life in all the buses of Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC). This simply means that eligible women will not have to pay any fare while traveling in roadways buses. This decision of the government will provide great financial relief especially to those senior women who often have to travel in buses for some work or the other.
You will get the benefit of free travel by showing your identity card
To avail the facility of free bus travel, eligible women will have to get their age and identity verified while traveling in the bus. For this, it will be mandatory for women to show their identity card like Aadhar Card or Voter ID Card to the conductor. As soon as the scheme is implemented, eligible women will be able to travel in UPSRTC buses without paying any fare on the basis of these valid documents.
Total 24 proposals approved in Yogi Cabinet
In this important cabinet meeting held under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, apart from this scheme related to women welfare, a total of 24 proposals related to various government departments have been approved. The complete details of other accepted proposals and decisions will also be released officially by the state government soon.
Bundelkhand will get 106 km long new expressway
The second biggest decision taken in the cabinet meeting is related to the infrastructure and connectivity of Bundelkhand region. The government has given green signal to the construction of Jhansi Link Expressway project. The construction of this grand greenfield expressway is estimated to cost approximately Rs 7,968.30 crore. The Uttar Pradesh government itself will bear the financial burden of this entire project.
High-speed corridor will be built from Jalaun to Jhansi
The total length of the proposed Jhansi Link Expressway will be 106.30 kilometers. This new route will start from near Phulpura village of Jalaun district located on Chain 170+300 of Bundelkhand Expressway and will reach Ambabai, Jhansi on the North-South Corridor i.e. National Highway-44 (NH-44). In the initial phase, it will be developed as an access-controlled 6-lane expressway, which will also be expanded to 8-lane as per requirement in future.
Design speed fixed at 120 km per hour
Jhansi Link Expressway will be built according to the design speed of 120 kilometers per hour. This high-speed corridor will pass through Orai area of Jalaun district as well as Garautha, Tahrauli, Moth and Jhansi I tehsils of Jhansi district. 110 meter wide 'right of way' will be acquired for the construction of this ambitious project.
Construction will be done on EPC model
After the financial evaluation of the project, the state government has decided to develop it through EPC (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction) method instead of PPP model. To complete the construction work of the expressway quickly, it will be divided into two separate packages.
Defense Corridor and BIDA area will directly benefit
With the construction of Jhansi Link Expressway, the Garautha node of the Defense Industrial Corridor and the Bundelkhand Industrial Development Authority (BIDA) area, which is rapidly taking shape in Bundelkhand, will get direct high-speed connectivity to the main expressway network of the country. This is expected to give a major boost to logistics, transportation and industrial activities in the area.
The path to religious and historical places will be easy
The benefits of this new expressway will not be limited only to the industrial area, but it will also give a new boost to tourism in the area. After its completion, access of devotees and tourists to major religious and historical places like Jhansi's historical fort, Orchha's famous Shri Ramraja temple, Datia's Pitambara Peeth and Sonagir Jain pilgrimage will become very easy, fast and safe. Thus, while on one hand the decisions of Yogi Cabinet have given free bus travel to senior women, on the other hand it has opened new doors for the development of Bundelkhand.