Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday launched the 341-km Purvanchal Expressway in Uttar Pradesh after a fascinating touch down on the highway in an Indian Air Force C-130J Super Hercules aircraft.

Describing the Expressway as the “pride of UP”, the Prime Minister said, "When I laid the foundation stone of Purvanchal Expressway three years ago, I never thought I would land here on an aircraft one day.” This highway will benefit the poor, middle class, farmers, and traders and is the road to development and prosperity for the region, he added.

The highway is "6-lane wide which can be expanded to 8 lanes in the future. It has been constructed at an estimated cost of about Rs 22,500 crores. The airstrip which can be used by the IAF is 3.2 km in length, according to an official statement.

IAF C-130J Super Hercules with PM Modi onboard lands on Purvanchal Expressway pic.twitter.com/plMFIkvUP4

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Sounding the bugle for the forthcoming UP assembly elections, PM Modi slammed the opposition, saying the former governments had "punished" the state especially eastern UP by neglecting development in the area.  "As an MP from UP, I have developed a relationship with the locals. It pains me to remember how the former state government did not support our development agenda when we were elected to power in 2014," he said, targeting the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi party.

Development under previous chief ministers was limited to places where they had their families and homes. Previous governments handed over eastern Uttar Pradesh to 'mafiawaad' and poverty, the BJP government is now writing a new chapter of development, PM Modi remarked.

“I used to be surprised by the situation 7-8 years ago and wondered what are some people punishing UP for? So, in 2014 when you gave me the opportunity to serve this great nation, I started going into the minute details of its development – as its MP and as the PM,” he pointed out.

“I initiated a lot of projects for UP. Poor were given pucca houses, toilets were ensured in their houses so that women don't need to step out to relieve themselves, that every house should have electricity – a lot of such things were necessary to be taken up here,” he added.

He also pointed out that clean drinking water which was not available earlier was now being provided on taps at home. 

The Prime Minister said the Expressway would improve connectivity and give a boost to the economic development of the eastern part of Uttar Pradesh especially the districts of Lucknow, Barabanki, Amethi, Ayodhya, Sultanpur, Ambedkar Nagar, Azamgarh, Mau, and Ghazipur.

Industrial corridors would now come up along the Expressway and this would provide more employment for the young. 

The Prime Minister said that more educational institutions were also being planned for developing skilled manpower and several new medical colleges had been recently set up in the state.

Prime Minister Modi also said that the country's security is as important as its prosperity. In a short while from now, we will see how Purvanchal Expressway has now become one more source of strength for the Indian Air Force as it can be used in cases of emergency during a war. Our fighter planes will land on the expressway shortly to demonstrate this, he added.

In an oblique reference to the opposition, he also said that the roar of these planes will also send a clear message to those who have ignored the country’s defence infrastructure when they were in power. 

PM Modi praised UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, saying "The state has got thousands of kilometres of roads in the last four years… medical colleges have been set up.” He also congratulated the CM and the people of the state for achieving the landmark of administering 14 crore doses of Covid-19 vaccines which had helped to rein in the pandemic.

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