Parts of Bundelkhand Expressway cave in 5 days after Modi inaugurated it

Five days after it was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, parts of the Bundelkhand Expressway in Uttar Pradesh caved in due to heavy rain on Thursday (July 21).

Videos of the damaged portions of the expressway were shared by BJP MP Varun Gandhi and Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Twitter.

While Yadav attacked the BJP over the quality of the expressway, Varun called for strict action against the people and the companies responsible for it.

Also read: Offering freebies for votes ‘very dangerous’ for country: PM Modi

“If the expressway built at a cost of 15 thousand crores cannot withstand even 5 days of rain, then serious questions arise on its quality. The head of this project, the engineer concerned and the responsible companies will have to be summoned immediately and strict action will be taken against them. #BundelkhandExpressway,” Varun tweeted in Hindi.

15 हजार करोड़ की लागत से बना एक्सप्रेसवे अगर बरसात के 5 दिन भी ना झेल सके तो उसकी गुणवत्ता पर गंभीर प्रश्न खड़े होते हैं।

इस प्रोजेक्ट के मुखिया, सम्बंधित इंजीनियर और जिम्मेदार कंपनियों को तत्काल तलब कर उनपर कड़ी कार्यवाही सुनिश्चित करनी होगी।#BundelkhandExpressway pic.twitter.com/krD6G07XPo

— Varun Gandhi (@varungandhi80) July 21, 2022

Yadav wrote in Hindi, “This is a sample of the quality of BJP’s half-hearted development… On the other hand, the Bundelkhand Expressway was inaugurated by the big people that within a week, huge pits of corruption came out on it. It is good that the runway was not built on it.”

ये है भाजपा के आधे-अधूरे विकास की गुणवत्ता का नमूना… उधर बुंदेलखंड एक्सप्रेस-वे का बड़े लोगों ने उद्घाटन किया ही था कि इधर एक हफ़्ते में ही इस पर भ्रष्टाचार के बड़े-बड़े गड्ढे निकल आए।

अच्छा हुआ इस पर रनवे नहीं बना। pic.twitter.com/Dcl22VT8zv

— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) July 21, 2022

In another tweet with a video, he said, “These are the latest ruins of the so called latest development of BJP! This crack in Bundelkhand Expressway is actually BJP’s corruption. Will such development happen with the money being collected even on flour in the name of development by throwing people into the politics of hate? The caravan stopped… they kept breaking the governments…”

ये हैं भाजपा के तथाकथित नवीनतम विकास के नवीनतम खंडहर! बुंदेलखंड एक्सप्रेस-वे की ये जो दरार है दरअसल ये भाजपा का भ्रष्टाचार है। जनता को नफ़रत की राजनीति में झोंक कर विकास के नाम पर आटे तक पर वसूले जा रहे पैसों से क्या ऐसा ही विकास होगा।

कारवाँ ठहर गया… वो सरकारें तोड़ते रहे… pic.twitter.com/6lhMmBcZVv

— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) July 22, 2022

The road caved in at Chhiriya Salempur village Jalaun district and also damages to the road were reported from other stretches, according to reports. Due to this, traffic was hit and in the videos shared on Twitter, bulldozers were at work to repair the damaged stretches.

Also read: Bundelkhand Expressway will bring development to region: PM Modi

On July 16, PM Modi inaugurated Bundelkhand Expressway at Kaitheri village in Orai tehsil of Jalaun, Uttar Pradesh. Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath, state minister were among those present on the occasion. Modi had laid the foundation stone for the expressway in February 2020.

Talking about the difference that will be brought about by the new expressway, PM Modi said, “The distance from Chitrakoot to Delhi has been reduced by 3-4 hours by the Bundelkhand Expressway, but its benefit is much more than that. This expressway will not only give speed to vehicles here, but it will accelerate the industrial progress of entire Bundelkhand.”

According to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), the Bundelkhand Expressway was completed within 28 months. “It is an indication of the work culture of New India where projects are delivered on time,” PMO said.

“The 296 km, four-lane expressway has been constructed at a cost of around ₹14,850 crore, under the aegis of Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA), and can later be expanded up to six lanes as well. It extends from NH-35 at Gonda village near Bharatkoop in Chitrakoot district to near Kudrail village in Etawah district, where it merges with the Agra-Lucknow expressway. It passes through seven districts, viz. Chitrakoot, Banda, Mahoba, Hamirpur, Jalaun, Auraiya and Etawah,” the PMO said after Modi inaugurated the expressway.

“Along with improving connectivity in the region, the Bundelkhand Expressway will also give a major boost to economic development, resulting in the creation of thousands of jobs for the local people. Work on the creation of industrial corridor in Banda and Jalaun districts, next to the Expressway, has already been started,” it added.

Bundelkhand Expressway will ensure seamless connectivity and further economic progress in the region. https://t.co/bwQz2ZBGuZ

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 16, 2022