Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, 30 November, inaugurated the six-lane Handia-Rajatalab section of National Highway 19 as he reached Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh on the occasion of Dev Deepawali.
Accompanied by UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the prime minister said that the infrastructure development in Uttar Pradesh has improved since Adityanath has become the chief minister of the state.
The prime minister offered prayers at the Kashi Vishwanath Temple and visited the Sarnath Archaeological Site, to witness a light and sound show on Lord Buddha.
The 73 km stretch of the newly widened, six-lane NH-19, which the PM has inaugurated, is expected to reduce the travel time between Prayagraj and Varanasi by one hour.
The road holds much importance for UP as it is part of the golden quadrilateral Delhi-Kolkata corridor, and was made with a total outlay of Rs 2,447 crore, IANS reported.
The security arrangements were tightened across the city as the PM would be visiting Varanasi for the first time in the pandemic.
Along with heavy deployment forces, drone cameras will also be used to keep watch on any suspicious movement.
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