Rajnath’s highway project still awaits government nod.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh's first major infrastructure push for his Lok Sabha constituency of Lucknow — an outer ring road — is stuck in a limbo as the National Highway Authority Authority of India (NHAI) is awaiting approval from the Akhilesh Yadav government for the project’s proposed alignment for over six months now.

While the state government is reportedly reluctant to share more than 10 per cent of the land cost burden, its officials hold the NHAI responsible for the delay alleging that latter is yet to provide complete details of the project.

While campaigning ahead of the Lok Sabha elections last year, Rajnath had announced an outer ring road around Lucknow to decongest the city. After taking oath as Home Minister, he had got a proposal regarding the ring road approved by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways in August last year. The NHAI was directed to prepare a pre-feasibility report and alignment of the ring road.

'NHAI had sent the alignment details to UP Public Works Department (UPPWD) in November last year and the department had called first meeting in December. But clearance from UPPWD is still awaited,' said Khushwant Singh, NHAI Co-Regional officer of Uttar Pradesh.

THE INDIAN EXPRESS