Meerut Expressway to cut NCR pollution: PM Modi

Recalling the role of Meerut in the country’s freedom, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said the Rs 7,566-crore Delhi-Meerut Expressway will show a way to freedom from pollution.

“Meerut is specially remembered for the 1857 freedom movement. In 1857, it showed the way to freedom from slavery and today Delhi-Meerut Expressway is showing the (way to) freedom from pollution,” Mr Modi said.

Terming the expressway as “highway to development”, the Prime Minister said infrastructure is key to economic growth and his government was “committed” to take the work done by former PM Atal Behari Vajpayee to newer heights.

Mr Modi was addressing a rally at Noida after unveiling a plaque to mark the laying of the foundation stone of the Delhi-Meerut Expressway to be built at cost of Rs 7,566 crore that includes construction of a 28-km-long, 14-lane Delhi-Dasna section.

“We are not merely constructing a road, this is a highway to development,” he said as he recalled the contribution of Mr Vajpayee to bring India’s infrastructure on par with the global level through the Golden Quadrilateral and the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna.

“After Vajpayee government’s massive contribution, the present government wants to take the sector to newer heights and I am not here to discuss what happened in the past 10 years,” he said.

Noting the people’s aspirations for development, the Prime Minister said good roads is one of the first pre-requisites for development and the expressway will spur unprecedented growth and employment in western Uttar Pradesh.