NEW DELHI: The Cabinet today cleared a Rs 2,147.33-crore project for widening of Handia-Varanasi stretch in Uttar Pradesh, the first highway project approved by the Centre in the state after BJP’s resounding victory in assembly polls.This project has been awarded under the government’s flagship road building programme – National Highways Development Project (NHDP) Phase-V.

 The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways said in a statement after the meeting that the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has given its approval for development of the six laning of Handia-Varanasi section of NH-2 in Uttar Pradesh.The project will be built on the Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM).

The statement also said that the cost is estimated to be Rs 2,147.33 crore including cost of land acquisition, resettlement and rehabilitation and other pre-construction activities. The total length of the road will be approximately 73 kms.

The project will lead to the improvement of infrastructure in Uttar Pradesh and reduce the time and cost of travel for traffic, particularly heavy traffic, plying on this stretch.

The development of this stretch will also help in uplifting the socio-economic condition of the concerned regions of the state and would also increase employment potential for local labourers for project activities, the statement said.

It has been estimated that a total number of 4,076 mandays are required for construction of 1 km of highways.

“As such, employment potential of 3,00,000 (approx) mandays will be generated locally during the construction period of the project,” the governmemnt said.