In the run-up to the Uttar Pradesh assembly election, Union Road transport and Waterways minister Nitin Gadkari announced several sops for the state, including 22 new by-passes and two Greenfield Expressways linking Gorakhpur to Siliguri and Varanasi to Kolkata.

Gadkari made it clear that his ministry was spending around Rs 3 lakh crore for the construction of expressways, highways, flyovers and roads in Uttar Pradesh.

"But I can promise you that this double engine government can invest up to Rs 5 lakh crore in the next five years in the state to make it one of the largest economies of the country," he said.

After inaugurating and laying foundations of different projects worth over Rs 26,778 crore, Gadkari informed a gathering that a new six-lane Gorakhpur-Siliguri Greenfield Expressway of over 591 kilometres would be constructed at a cost of Rs 32,000 crore and another six-lane Varanasi-Kolkata Greenfield Expressway of 686 kilometres will be laid at a cost of Rs 20,000 crore.

"Construction work in both of these expressways will commence within the next six months,” he said.

Gadkari said that construction work was underway in 18 bypasses in Uttar Pradesh and 22 more would be constructed at a cost of over Rs 18,000 crore. He also said that a new Chambal Expressway of 358 kilometres linking Etawah and Kota with Delhi-Mumbai Expressway would be constructed.

On this occasion, the Union road transport minister asked Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to take a lead in encouraging green hydrogen vehicles in the state.

He also said that the Union government had already introduced bikes and scooters that would run on ethanol which would decrease the country's import expenditure on petroleum and also help in cutting down pollution.