Kushinagar infrastructure gets a boost with five underpasses

Union Minister Harsh Malhotra and state representatives announced a ₹111 crore road safety and mobility initiative, including five new underpasses, to support the government’s infrastructure agenda.

In collaboration with representatives from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), the Hon’ble Minister of State for Rural Development in the Uttar Pradesh Government, Smt. Vijay Lakshmi Gautam; the Hon’ble Member of Parliament for Kushinagar, Shri Vijay Kumar Dubey, MLA; Shri Mohan Verma, MLA; Dr. Asim Kumar, MLA; Shri Surender Kumar Kushwaha; and MLC Dr. Ratan Pal Singh joined Union Minister of State for Road, Transport and Highways & Corporate Affairs, Shri Harsh Malhotra, to lay the foundation stone for five vehicular underpasses in Kushinagar: Baghnath, Ken Union Chowk, Fazilnagar, Salemgarh, and Patheria.

The 5.4-kilometre combined vehicular underpasses, which were envisioned as a crucial step towards decongestion and lowering road casualties, are expected to be finished by the end of 2026 at an estimated total cost of ₹111 crores.

The Hon’ble Minister stated that the projects would serve as a stepping stone for regional prosperity, ensuring road safety and significantly contributing to the region’s social and economic well-being.

Shri Harsh Malhotra said that under the visionary leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji, India now has the second largest road network, with the National Highway (NH) network growing by 60 percent, from 91,287 km in 2014 to 1,46,195 km. Shri Malhotra also stated that over 4300 km of national highways have been developed in Uttar Pradesh over the last decade, making it the second-largest national highway state in the country.

Shri Harsh Malhotra, Minister of State, also inspected the 75-kilometre Gorakhpur Ring Road en route to Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh, which is being built at an estimated cost of ₹ 1780 crores. Officials briefed the minister on the remaining 26 km of the project. Shri Malhotra directed the officials to expedite the remaining project so that it could be opened to the general public as scheduled.

Additionally, Shri Harsh Malhotra examined the current NHAI initiatives in eastern Uttar Pradesh. Under the capable leadership of Shri Narendra Modi ji and the guidance of Shri Nitin Gadkari ji, Vikas and Virasat are being carried out concurrently, and all religious places such as Ayodhya, Gorakhpur, Prayagraj, Chitrakoot, and Varanasi are being interconnected through these highways, and the four Ring Roads in Gorakhpur, Ayodhya, Varanasi, and Prayagraj would be instrumental in decongesting vehicular traffic in these cities. Shri Malhotra directed officials to expedite the ongoing projects.

Shri Harsh Malhotra also stated that public infrastructure is the foundation of economic development, improving connectivity, trade, and overall quality of life. India, the world’s fifth-largest economy, has made remarkable progress in infrastructure development over the last decade, with every rupee spent on infrastructure multiplying the national GDP by 3.2 times.

National Highway stretches with four or more lanes increased 2.6 times from 18,371 km in 2014 to 48,422 km in 2024, while construction rates increased 2.8 times from 12.1 km/day in 2014-15 to 33.8 km/day in 2023-24.

Shri Malhotra pointed out the various initiatives undertaken by the Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways, viz., ‘Cashless Golden Hour’ scheme for road accident victims under which they will be entitled to cashless treatment of a maximum amount of ₹1.5 lakh per accident per person, ‘Good Samaritans’ schemes where people who help the road accident victims are rewarded with a cash prize of ₹ 25,000, and ‘Abhay Sarathi’ program for truck drivers welfare where they are provided

Hon’ble Minister Shri Harsh Malhotra stated that infrastructure development is more than just roads; it will lay the groundwork for India’s transformation into an economic powerhouse and, as a result, will be a key factor in achieving Viksit Bharat.