Modi announces Rs 20,000-cr defence industrial corridor in Bundelkhand, to generate 2.5 lakh jobs

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday announced that his government will establish a Rs 20,000-crore defence industrial production corridor in Bundelkhand -- a region divided between Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh -- that will generate 2,50,000 jobs and bring development to one of the most impoverished regions of the country.

"I am making an important announcement. In this year's Budget, we had announced that we will establish two defence industrial production corridors. One of them will be in Bundelkhand," Modi said addressing the inaugural session of the two-day Uttar Pradesh 'Investors Meet' at the Indira Gandhi Pratishthan in Lucknow.

The government had earlier announced that it would develop two such corridors. The first of the two, announced by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in his Budget speech, is being built between Chennai and Bengaluru - connecting Kattupalli port, Chennai, Tiruchi, Coimbatore and Hosur.

The project, he said, would bring an "investment of Rs 20,000 crore and generate employment avenues for 2.5 lakh people".

The Prime Minister said the decision to come with the defence production corridor to Uttar Pradesh was taken keeping in mind the developmental requirements of Bundelkhand region.

The corridor will link Agra, Aligarh, Lucknow, Kanpur, Jhansi and Chitrakoot.

Modi said Uttar Pradesh had a vast potential for development but needed policy, planning , performance. He lauded the efforts of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for setting the state on the path to give a "super hit" performance.

The Prime Minister pointed out how air traffic in the state had grown by 30 percent in the past one year with just three international airports in Agra, Varanasi and Lucknow.

He said it was more than the national average and indicated a huge potential in the state for civil aviation.

The Prime Minister said more airports will be initiated in multiple parts of the state.

New airports will give it (the air traffic in Uttar Pradesh) an additional boost. The state is also home to the largest rail network.

With inputs from IANS

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