The Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati’s Rs 40,000 crore dream project, Ganga Expressway, extending from Balia to Noida is set to face a massive roadblock, by the main opposition in the state. The Samajwadi Party all set to make it a much larger issue than that of Nandigram, in West Bengal.
According to senior partymen, the project will not be a boon and lead to the development of the state, as touted by the state government. It would rather lead to destruction.
The newly-appointed general secretary of the Samajwadi Party Om Praksh Singh stated the project is not feasible as it entails the uprooting of farmers in 40 districts. “Nandigram is the story of farmers of only one village being forcibily asked to hand over their lands. But for the Ganga Expressway project, farmers of 40 districts would be affected. They have already started agitating against the move and the SP that is solidly behind them would oppose it tooth and nail,” he stated.
The project would lead to large scale agitations that would be much larger in scale than that of Nandigram, he added.
It may be mentioned that the Uttar Pradesh government had on Wednesday decided to create the UP Expressway Industrial Development Authority to give shape to the 1000 kms-long Ganga Expressway, which would connect eastern and western UP and is likely to be completed within three years. The central government has already given environmental clearance.