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Akhilesh Yadav promises to develop markets for farmers along Purvanchal Expressway
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav says he is sensing a wave of change before the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls
Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday said mandis (markets) for farmers and means of employment generation for the youths will be developed along the Purvanchal Expressway after his party comes to power in Uttar Pradesh.
Akhilesh Yadav also said he sensed a “wave of change” in the state that will “wipe out” the BJP in the 2022 assembly polls.
Akhilesh Yadav, who has often said it was his government that envisaged the project, described the Purvanchal Expressway as incomplete.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 341-km Purvanchal Expressway on Tuesday.
“This expressway, (which has been inaugurated), is incomplete. Samajwadis saw the dream of building this (Purvanchal) expressway in order that the travel time between Ghazipur in UP and Delhi reduces. But this expressway is not reducing the distance (travel time between Ghazipur in eastern UP and Delhi).It was to be an expressway of prosperity,” he said.
He also said, “ Through this expressway, work to strengthen the economy of rural areas will be done. Mandis (markets) were supposed to come up near this but they did not. After the SP comes to power, work will be done to set up mandis for farmers and create means of employment generation for the youths along it.”
Tell me if the country has a better road than this anywhere, Akhilesh Yadav asked.
He also said the expressway will be extended to Ballia.
“We have to take this expressway to Ballia and connect it with Bihar,” he said.
The Purvanchal Expressway starts from village Chand Sarai in Lucknow district and ends at village Hydaria on National Highway number 31, 18 kilometres east of the Uttar Pradesh-Bihar border, in Ghazipur.
The key feature of the expressway is the 3.2-kilometre-long airstrip to enable landing and take-off of Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter planes in case of emergency.
The six-lane Purvanchal Expressway can be expanded to eight lanes in the future.
In his attack on the BJP, he said, “There will be a change in UP in 2022, for sure. I am watching a wave of change. I am confident that from this Ghaizpur (UP) to that Ghazipur (near Delhi border), BJP will be wiped out.”
“Ghazipur is the land of bravehearts and sacrifice. I salute all of you,” he said, addressing people from atop the rath (bus).
He asked the people to “remove the bulls and the bulldozers” which are running in the state. This remark appeared to be an indirect jibe at the problem of stray cattle and the Yogi Adityanath government’s drive against criminals and demolition of their unauthorised properties.
Appealing to the people, Akhilesh said, “In 2022, change the government which is changing names.”
It was a reference to the Yogi government having changed the names of Faizabad to Ayodhya and Allahabad to Prayagraj, besides renaming the Faizabad railway station as Ayodhya Cantt. At a function in SP chief’s Lok Sabha constituency Azamgarh on November 13, chief minister Yogi Adityanath had said laying the foundation stone of a state university will turn Azamgarh into Aryamgarh in the true sense.
“There should be no doubt that this university will truly turn Azamgarh into Aryamgarh,” the chief minister had said. Union home minister Amit Shah had laid the foundation stone of the university.
Akhilesh Yadav also targeted the BJP on petrol and diesel prices, besides “rising unemployment”.
“These are the very people who had said that poor with slippers will travel by air. But the way the prices of diesel and petrol have gone up, riding a motorcycle has become difficult,” he said.
“Unemployed youths waited for jobs for five years. Where are the jobs? Will the youth not bring a change? All sections of the society, be it farmers, labourers and youths, are ready to bring a change in the state,” he said.
He also said the SP will hold a historic rally in Ghazipuri in future.
The Samajwadi Party’s ally Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) chief Om Prakash Rajbhar said SBSP has shut the door through which BJP came to power in 2017. The SBSP-led Bhagidari Sanklap Morcha, in alliance with the SP, will make Akhilesh Yadav the chief minister of UP in 2022, he said.
Earlier, Akhilesh Yadav, along with Rajbhar, met noted vocalist Pandit Chhannu Lal Mishra at Lal Bahadur Shastri international airport, Varanasi, said SBSP state unit vice president Shashipratap Singh. Padma Vibhushan was conferred on Mishra recently.
