Kushinagar — In a move that signals both ground-level action and high-level ambition, Union Minister of State for Road Transport, Highways, and Corporate Affairs, Harsh Malhotra, rolled up his sleeves (and possibly his kurta cuffs) to lay the foundation stone for not one, not two, but five vehicular underpasses in Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh — firmly putting the “pass” in “underpass” and the “fast” in “infrastructure.”
Joined by Member of Parliament Vijay Kumar Dubey and a constellation of dignitaries including local MLAs, MLCs, and NHAI officials, the ceremony was more than just symbolic—it marked another milestone in India’s increasingly turbocharged infrastructure journey.
The five underpasses—Baghnath, Ken Union Chowk, Fazilnagar, Salemgarh, and Patheria—are set to cost ₹111 crores, stretch a combined 5.4 km, and are expected to be complete by the end of 2026. That’s a pretty solid timeline, unless unexpected “divine cow crossings” cause minor delays.
Malhotra, clearly in top gear, also inspected the ongoing 75 km Gorakhpur Ring Road project worth a staggering ₹1780 crores. With 49 km already done and dusted, the Minister didn’t miss a beat in urging officials to fast-track the remaining 26 km—before monsoons, babus, or chai breaks can interfere.
Highlighting India’s meteoric rise in the global road ranks, Malhotra proudly declared that under the Modi-led government, the National Highway network has grown by 60%—from 91,287 km in 2014 to a whopping 1,46,195 km today. In the same vein, UP itself has constructed over 4300 km of national highways in a decade, turning potholes into pathways of prosperity.
“If roads are the arteries of a nation,” Malhotra remarked, “then underpasses are its pressure valves—easing traffic, reducing accidents, and saving fuel, time, and, dare I say, tempers!”
He also reviewed NHAI’s eastern UP projects and waxed poetic about the synergy of “Vikas and Virasat,” highlighting that heritage hubs like Ayodhya, Prayagraj, Chitrakoot, and Varanasi are being seamlessly linked—not just by history, but by highways.
And it wasn’t all tarmac talk. Malhotra spotlighted MoRTH’s citizen-centric schemes:
- The ‘Cashless Golden Hour’ scheme—ensuring accident victims receive treatment worth up to ₹1.5 lakh without their wallet taking a hit.
- ‘Good Samaritans’ reward those who step in to help crash victims with ₹25,000 and (hopefully) good karma.
- ‘Abhay Sarathi’ focuses on truck driver welfare, because behind every supply chain is a man with a steering wheel and back pain.
- The ‘Rajmarg’ and ‘Sukhadh’ apps—because even highways deserve a GPS-enabled hotline to your fingertips.
Wrapping up, the Minister summed up India’s infrastructure leap in true GDP-geek style: “Every rupee spent on infrastructure multiplies the nation’s GDP by 3.2 times.” Or in other words, roads = revenue = roaring engines of growth.
As India paves its way toward Viksit Bharat, these underpasses aren’t just about going below the surface—they’re about lifting a region up. With 33.8 km of National Highways being built every single day, it looks like the only traffic jam India’s facing now… is in the fast lane of progress.
