lucknow

Updated: Jul 21, 2017 17:10 IST

Uttar Pradesh government has decided to convert 109 state highways into national highways. Tabling the Public Works Department (PWD) budget on Thursday, deputy chief minister, Keshav Prasad Maurya said, with the conversion of the state highways into national highways, 9,101 km of the roads in the state will be widened and repaired for the fast movement of traffic.

The opposition boycotted the proceedings of the house when Maurya tabled the PWD budget.

The state is likely to get Rs 10,000 crore from the central government under the central road fund which was not released earlier as the SP government did not send the utility certificate to the central government. The state government has decided to blacklist the companies and contractors indulged in corruption during the previous regime, he said.

The state government signed a memorandum of understanding with Railways to expedite the construction of the bridges and roads. It had also signed an agreement with Asian Development Bank to get Rs 2,782 crore loan for the construction of highways in the 8 districts . A road network would also be constructed on the India- Nepal border. The 86% of the roads under PWD had been made pothole free under the drive launched by the state government, he said.

The roads are constructed and repaired under the district plan, naxal plan, integrated road construction plan and with Rs 100 crore loan from NABARD.

Earlier, agriculture minister Surya Pratap Shahi tabled the budget of the agriculture department. He said the state government has decided to link all the benefits given to the farmers with Aadhaar. The loan waiver of farmers will pave way for capital investment in the sector.

The government has decided to promote organic farming. In the first phase agriculture clusters will be set up in Bundelkhand region. The farmers will be motivated to adopt vermiculture. The state government will support the progressive farmers. The vacant posts in the agriculture universities will be filled on priority basis and agriculture science centers will be set up in 20 districts. The state government will launch self-employment projects for the agriculture graduates

.