The Uttar Pradesh government has set a target for the Public Works Department (PWD) to complete the construction of minor bridges under development across 12 districts within this year.
To support this, the government has approved a budget of Rs 37.82 crore for the completion of these projects. Shamli district leads with eight minor bridges under construction, followed by Gorakhpur and Chitrakoot with four each. Jalaun, Bahraich, and Barabanki will see two bridges each, while Sant Kabir Nagar, Jhansi, Shravasti, Ghazipur, Prayagraj, and Siddharth Nagar will have one bridge each.
In the financial year 2024-25, the PWD included the construction of 781 minor bridges in its action plan, allocating Rs 1,443 crore for the initiative. However, delays in last year’s action plan preparation resulted in many projects not commencing on time.
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Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, serving as the departmental minister, had reprimanded PWD officials over the delays and directed that future action plans include consultations with local public representatives and obtain approval from the concerned district administrations.
Following these instructions, the PWD revised its action plan, and the government has now started releasing funds accordingly. An amount of Rs 20.96 crore has been sanctioned for minor bridges in Jalaun, Jhansi, Shravasti, Ghazipur, Prayagraj, Siddharth Nagar, Chitrakoot, Shamli, and Gorakhpur.
Additionally, Rs 10.87 crore has been approved for a bridge in Sant Kabir Nagar, Rs 2.58 crore for two bridges in Bahraich, and Rs 3.41 crore for two bridges in Barabanki. The government aims to expedite the completion of these infrastructure projects to improve connectivity and support local development.