3 months in power, Yogi Adityanath fails to stick to his deadline

Just three months after coming to power in Uttar Pradesh, BJP government has failed in its first test. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday admitted that his government has been unable to fulfil the promise of making state roads pothole-free by June 15, 2017.

Speaking to media persons in Gorakhpur before leaving for Bihar, the Chief Minister cited lack of funds and empty state exchequer as the reasons for his government's non-fulfilment of the commitment. “We got an empty treasury from the previous regime and did not have funds for roads. Despite that we are able to make majority of roads pothole-free in the state. The remaining roads will be made free from pothole after the rainy season,” he assured.

On the other hand, the Deputy Chief Minister and PWD Minister Keshav Maurya claimed that work had been completed on about 63% of targeted roads. “Roads in state were in dilapidated state when we came to power. We repaired about 76,456 kms of roads in record 90 days ,” claimed Maurya.

Maurya said that besides completing the road repair work after rainy season, the government will also construct ring roads in Lucknow, Kanpur, Allahabad, Varanaasi, Gorakhpur and Azamgarh.

The Central government has already sanctioned funds for the same. Construction of by-pass and outer ring roads would be completed by 2019. The government has also planned construction of alleviated roads in Lucknow to ease out traffic snarls.