Lucknow, June 27 (Reporter) Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday said that under the guidance of the Prime Minister, unprecedented progress has been made in road infrastructure in Uttar Pradesh over the past seven years. The CM said that in 2017, the state which had only two expressways, today, boasts of six. "The length of national highways has almost doubled in the same period. UP is now emerging as the 'Expressway State'." he said. While reviewing the progress of ongoing and new expressway projects in the state and the development of the industrial and defence corridors at a high-level meeting, he directed, "Ensure that the Ganga Expressway, connecting Meerut to Prayagraj, is completed and open to the public by the upcoming December. This will allow devotees from across the country and worldwide to benefit from the expressway while travelling to the Prayagraj Kumbh in 2025." Yogi said that the construction progress of the Gorakhpur Link Expressway is satisfactory. "This expressway will provide excellent connectivity for the districts of Gorakhpur, Sant Kabir Nagar, Azamgarh, and Ambedkar Nagar. We must make every effort to ensure the timely completion of the Gorakhpur Link Expressway, as it will bring significant benefits to these districts," he said. He said that in alignment with public expectations, the process to connect the Bundelkhand Expressway, which has become the lifeline of Bundelkhand, to Chitrakoot should be expedited. " A budget has been allocated for this purpose. This connection will significantly enhance Bundelkhand's connectivity. Ensuring the quality of work and adherence to project timelines is essential," he said. The CM said that to enhance connectivity, there is a need to expand expressway coverage. "A world-class airport is being built in Jewar, and it should be connected to the expressway network. Constructing a link expressway from the Ganga Expressway to Jewar Airport would be appropriate," he said. He said similarly, a link expressway should be built from the Agra-Lucknow Expressway to the Purvanchal Expressway and a new link expressway should connect the Ganga Expressway to the Agra-Lucknow Expressway via Farrukhabad. "These new expressways and the Chitrakoot Link Expressway will significantly accelerate the state's progress. A detailed report should be prepared after conducting a preliminary study. Additionally, saplings should be planted on both sides of all expressways," he said. Yogi said that leading defence product manufacturing companies from India and around the world are investing in the UP Defence Corridor, which will make the state a hub of defence equipment production. "To date, investments in the Defence Corridor have exceeded 24,000 crores. Major companies such as BrahMos Aerospace and Aeroalloy Technology in the Lucknow node, Bharat Dynamics Limited in the Jhansi node, Adani Defence Systems in the Kanpur node, and Amitech Electronics and Anchor Research Limited in the Aligarh node are setting up their units. Immediate decisions should be taken regarding new proposals, and no proposal should be left pending," he said. He directed that the development of the BioPlastic Park should be accelerated. "The land purchase for establishing a BioPlastic Manufacturing Unit in Lakhimpur Kheri needs to be expedited," the CM said. Yogi said the implementation of investment proposals received during the Global Investors Summit should be continuously reviewed. "Whether it concerns land allotment to investors or the matter of payable incentives, there should be no delay. Immediate decisions are required," he said. He said that the bylaws of the authorities need to be updated to reflect changing circumstances. "The rules should be made more investment-friendly. The land acquisition process for expanding the land bank in Industrial Development Authorities should be expedited," he said. Industrial Development Authorities should establish a policy to allocate land from defunct industrial units within their areas to new investors. The land acquisition process within the newly established Bundelkhand Industrial Development Authority (BIDA) is expected to be accelerated, aiming to elevate Bundelkhand's development in the state to new heights. Additionally, efforts to expedite the development of the Multimodal Logistics Hub (MMLH) in Dadri and the Multimodal Transport Hub (MMTH) in Boraki should be prioritised, he said...////...