Viksit UP: Kashi sees Rs35K cr projects in 9 yrs of Yogi govt

Varanasi: As it marks nine years in office, the Yogi Adityanath govt has completed 486 projects worth over Rs 35,156 crore, providing basic amenities such as roads, bridges, drinking water and sewerage to the public in Varanasi. Besides, various development projects worth over Rs 17,915 crore are currently underway in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's parliamentary constituency, said minister Ravindra Jaiswal on Wednesday.After inaugurating a development exhibition at Girija Devi Sanskritik Sankul, Chaukaghat, Jaiswal highlighted UP's progress under CM Yogi's leadership, saying the state is advancing while preserving its heritage, as part of ‘Viksit Bharat Viksit Uttar Pradesh'. The event highlighted the govt's focus on infrastructure development, including roads, bridges, and airports, as well as initiatives in healthcare, education and agriculture.Aiming to develop Varanasi into a world-class tourist destination, he said 30 projects costing more than Rs 721 crore have been finished, including Namo Ghat, Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple Corridor, redevelopment at Sarnath, road along the Ganga river bank from Markandey Mahadev Ghat to Sangam Ghat at Kaithi and Sarnath laser and sound show.Discussing the development works carried out in Kashi, he said that 486 large-scale projects costing more than Rs 35,156 crore related to roads, bridges, drinking water, sewerage, STP, education, health, energy, tourism, urban development and police welfare have been dedicated to the public in the last nine years.Jaiswal reported that 127 projects worth over Rs 22,829 crore have been completed, including ring roads, national highways, state roads, district roads, and bridges. Additionally, road and bridge construction projects worth Rs 5,813 crore are currently underway.Jaiswal said that 127 projects related to ring road, national highway, state road, district road and bridge construction, costing more than Rs 22,829 crore, have been completed. In addition, construction work on roads and bridges, costing more than Rs 5,813 crore, is in progress. Construction of railway, airport and waterway projects costing more than Rs 1,529 crore has also been finished. Under the Smart City project, he said 34 projects costing Rs 877 crore have concluded, including Kashi Integrated Command Control Centre, advanced surveillance cameras at 720 locations, Varanasi Sports Complex Sigra, Town Hall Shopping Complex, 3D Urban Digital Map and multilevel two-wheeler parking at Godaulia Chowk. Sixty sewerage and drinking water-related projects costing more than Rs 1,000 crore have been finished, he added.Jaiswal said that urban electricity reform work, electrification of 3,722 hamlets, construction of a 220 KV electricity sub-station and Bio CNG plant have been carried out at Rs 1,100 crore. He informed that 43 health projects worth Rs 1,870.36 crore have wrapped up, including Cancer Institute, Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital, construction of a 430-bed Super Speciality Hospital at Kashi Hindu Vishwavidyalaya, District Women's Hospital, construction of a 100-bed Maternity Wing at Kabirchaura and Bone Marrow Transplant and Stem Cell Research Centre. He said that in the last nine years, 38,167 persons have benefited from Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana Gramin and 5,967 have benefited from Mukhyamantri Awas Yojana.Under industrial investment, he said 194 MOUs have been signed in the district, with a proposed investment of Rs 21,566.72 crore.