To ensure world-class connectivity, Uttar Pradesh will soon have the metro rail network in 12 cities, DPRs of which are almost ready.

Metro rail services already exist in Lucknow, Ghaziabad, Noida, Greater Noida and Kanpur while Gorakhpur, Kashi, Meerut, Bareilly, Jhansi and Prayagraj are also expected to get the same soon.

Urban population constitutes 24 per cent of the total population of Uttar Pradesh, which contributes 65 per cent to the state’s GDP. The Yogi government is working towards providing eco-friendly and viable commuting options to make the lives of these people in urban areas easier.

A government spokesman said that to realise the objectives, the detailed project reports (DPRs) for Varanasi, Prayagraj, Jhansi and Meerut are in final stages. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has also instructed the officials concerned to prepare DPRs for Metro Neo projects in Bareilly, Meerut, Jhansi, Prayagraj and Varanasi.

The metro services in Agra are also nearing completion on a war-footing. Over 35 per cent of the first phase of Agra Metro Project has been completed while the work of priority corridor in Kanpur was completed in less than two years’ time despite two waves of the Covid-19 pandemic, the spokesman said.

He added that the chief minister has issued directives to start work on the Gorakhpur Metro Lite project within six months. “In its first phase, the 15.14-km Metro Lite of Gorakhpur at a cost of Rs 2,670 crore will connect major centres of the city, including Gorakhnath Mandir, Gorakhpur Railway Station, Gorakhpur University and the newly-built AIIMS,” he said.