Lucknow. Now the main roads of urban bodies will also be made modern on the lines of highways and expressways. The Chief Minister Green Road Infrastructure Development Scheme (Urban) (CM-GRIDS) scheme for construction and reconstruction of roads between 10 and 45 meters of civic bodies got the green signal in the cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday.
These roads will have all kinds of modern facilities like utility duct, footpath, green area, solar based street light, bus stop, EV charging station etc. Special attention will also be given to beautification around the roads.
Green roads will be developed
Under the scheme, green roads will be developed with low carbon emissions using environment-friendly and modern technology. For this, the government has also given green signal to the establishment of Urban Road Infrastructure Development Agency.
The agency will prepare a data bank of all urban roads across the state and empower the urban bodies financially and technically. It will monitor the development of urban road infrastructure.
The general meeting will be held under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary
The general meeting of this agency will be chaired by the Chief Secretary. An executive committee will also be formed under the chairmanship of Additional Chief Secretary/Principal Secretary of the Urban Development Department. The agency will also set up a project management unit at the state level to provide support in conducting all activities related to the scheme.
Grant dedicated to the development of roads
In the first phase, roads of 17 municipal corporations will be rejuvenated. In the subsequent phases, the roads of Municipal Council and Nagar Panchayats will be taken up. Under this scheme, urban bodies will be given grants dedicated to the development of roads on the basis of the revenue received by them in the previous financial year. Using this grant, municipal bodies will repair urban roads.
Additional funds will be given based on 15 to 25 percent revenue increase. Bodies getting more than 25 percent revenue will be given double the amount. Only a maximum of Rs 100 crore will be given in this. In this, a maximum of 10 percent of the budget will also be given for repairing roads and eliminating potholes. A budget of Rs 500 crore has been kept for this scheme in the current financial year 2023-24.
People of the state will get eight benefits
- Increase in public space and green cover
- Safer roads equipped with smart street lights
- Convenient access and better mobility for all road users
- Systematic and underground service utilities
- No need for frequent digging, roads will have longer life span
- Facility of parking and EV charging will be available
- There will be improvement in air quality and increase in public health.
- There will be an increase in the value of land along the roads, there will be economic prosperity.