North India Statesman
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Gorakhpur/Lucknow: A major decision has been taken towards further strengthening the road network in Uttar Pradesh. To speed up the traffic, Panipat-Gorakhpur Expressway will now be extended till Kushinagar. A team of experts has started the survey work for this huge expressway, approximately 750 kilometers long. The work of geo-tagging and marking with stones is going on at a fast pace in PPganj area of Gorakhpur. As soon as the survey is completed, its map will be prepared and sent to the ministry for final approval, after which the process of land acquisition will begin.
Now traveling directly from Haryana to Bengal will be easy
The biggest update regarding the Panipat-Gorakhpur Expressway is that it will now be connected to the Siliguri Expressway under construction in Kushinagar. After this connection, the journey from Haryana to West Bengal will become very easy and fast. This will be a ‘Green Field Expressway’, which means that special care will be taken of the environment while building it. The survey team is preparing such a route that causes minimal damage to trees and plants. This expansion will provide a tremendous boost to trade and connectivity between many states.
New expressway will pass through these 21 districts of UP
This expressway will change the fate of more than 20 districts of Uttar Pradesh. This huge route will start from Panipat in Haryana and will reach Kushinagar via Shamli, Meerut, Bareilly, Lucknow, Balrampur, Siddharth Nagar, Sant Kabir Nagar, and Gorakhpur in UP. While on one hand this project has raised new hopes for development, on the other hand a round of discussions have started among the farmers regarding compensation for land acquisition.
Farmers’ concerns regarding land compensation and administration’s response
Farmers are worried about the acquisition of land coming in the way of the expressway. Farmers say that there has been no increase in the circle rate since 2016, while the market price of land has increased manifold. Their demand is that farmers with small land holdings should be given compensation at housing rates so that they can earn their living. Clarifying the situation on this matter, SDM Siddharth Pathak has said that only the route has been decided, the official gazette is yet to come. He assured that as per the rules, there is a provision to give compensation up to double the circle rate in urban areas and four times in rural areas, the final status of which will be clear only after the release of the Gazette.
