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₹1,300 cr sanctioned for facelift of int’l airport in Lucknow: Rajnath
Country’s defence exports up from ₹900 crore in 2014 to ₹18,000 crore this year; BrahMos missile factory coming up in Lucknow to start production in a couple of years, says defence minister
LUCKNOW Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said that ₹1,300 crore had been sanctioned for a grand makeover of the international airport in Lucknow.
“When construction work is over and the airport is ready, people from across the globe would get to visit the state capital easily. This increased footfall of global tourists would lead to more direct and indirect employment,” he said while interacting with people of his Lok Sabha constituency on the second day of his three-day visit to Lucknow.
The minister also said he wanted a centre of Chandigarh University to open in Lucknow. “Nearly 3 to 4 acres of land required for the purpose wasn’t available in Lucknow and that is why now Unnao is being looked at as an alternative venue,” he said.
Rajnath travelled by the Lalkuan-Aishbagh overbridge to visit Sudarshan Puri, a Dalit locality, where he also offered floral tribute at the statue of saint Supach Sudarshan.
Interacting with the people, he asked: “How many of you travel by two wheelers.” As many hands went up, Rajnath raised another query: “Now, tell me, how much time did you take to travel from Lalkuan to Aishbagh earlier and how much time do you take now, after the overbridge was built?”
On being told by the people that travel time had drastically reduced since overbridge came up, Rajnath said: “These overbridges are helping decongest city roads and this is helping you save time. You may have noticed that now you are also saving more as your fuel consumption too has gone down.”
“So far, seven overbridges have been built in the state capital and more have been proposed. Once the 104-km-long outer Ring Road is ready, it will help decongest roads even more as all those passing through Lucknow from anywhere across the country would be able to head to their destination without entering the state capital,” he added.
Rajnath said when he became an MP, he was told that traffic was a major problem here.
“That is why we have jointly focused on this issue and these overbridges and outer Ring Road projects are all part of the effort to decongest city roads. The outer Ring Road is nearly 75% complete,” he said at another function in Talkatora.
UP BJP MLC Mukesh Sharma said 17 overbridges had been cleared for Lucknow. He also said that residents of Sudarshan Puri had demanded a community hall. “This demand has been okayed and the funds would be arranged through CSR fund,” added Sharma.
The defence minister said that the country’s defence exports had gone up substantially from ₹900 crore in 2014 to ₹18,000 crore this year, and the BrahMos Missile Factory, which was coming up in Lucknow, would start production in a couple of years.
“When I became defence minister, we used to import everything - from rifles to guns and other weaponry. Back then, our defence exports were only around ₹900 crore. Today, this figure has gone up substantially to anywhere between ₹18,000-20,000 crore,” he said.
“Apart from Delhi, BrahMos missile would be manufactured in Lucknow too and its production would start in the next two to three years,” he added.
“Ever since the Narendra Modi government came to power at the Centre, the country’s global standing has improved markedly. Unlike in the past, now, when India speaks, the world listens,” said the defence minister.
