Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh) [India], July 11 (ANI): Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Friday performed the bhoomi poojan for the Rs 5,017 crore Ujjain-Jaora Greenfield Four-Lane Corridor, describing it as a major infrastructure project that will strengthen connectivity, boost economic growth in the Malwa region and support preparations for Simhastha-2028.

Addressing a public gathering on the occasion, the Chief Minister said the 98.73-kilometre corridor would serve as a direct link between Ujjain and the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway while improving connectivity across Ujjain, Ratlam and neighbouring districts.

'The Ujjain-Jaora Greenfield Corridor is not merely a highway but a new growth engine for the overall development and economy of the Malwa region. It will make travel safer, faster and more convenient while benefiting industry, trade, agriculture and tourism,' Yadav said.

The Chief Minister said the project would be completed by December 2027 ahead of Simhastha-2028 and would play a key role in handling the expected influx of pilgrims during the religious congregation.

According to the state government, the corridor will benefit around 3.5 million people and connect 50 villages in Ujjain district and 12 villages in Ratlam district. The project includes seven flyovers, three rail overbridges, eight major bridges, 22 medium bridges, 36 underpasses, two overpasses and 430 culverts.

Along with this, the Chief Minister also announced a series of infrastructure and development projects for the region, including widening of the existing Ujjain-Jaora road and construction of a four-lane highway connecting Nagda and Khachrod with Ratlam. He further stated the establishment of a pea market and a food processing unit in Khachrod, construction of a dam across the Chambal River at Atalawada-Ninavatkheda in Nagda Assembly constituency and setting up of a new Industrial Training Institute (ITI) in Nagda.

The Chief Minister stressed that improved road infrastructure would attract investment, generate employment and accelerate industrialisation in the Malwa region. He added that the Greenfield corridor, initially planned as an access-controlled highway, had been redesigned as a non-access-controlled corridor to improve regional connectivity.

Highlighting the state's broader development plans, CM Yadav said the government was developing two metropolitan regions--Indore-Ujjain-Ratlam and Bhopal-Sehore-Narmadapuram--with similar metropolitan regions planned around Jabalpur and Gwalior in the future.

During the programme, the Chief Minister also inaugurated the temporary campus of Kendriya Vidyalaya in Nagda and launched the Jan Seva Prahari Abhiyan, a community-based road safety initiative aimed at providing immediate first aid to accident victims during the 'golden hour', the first 60 minutes after a road accident, considered critical for saving lives.

Under the Jan Seva Prahari Abhiyan, shopkeepers, dhaba operators and petrol pump staff near accident-prone locations are being trained in first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and emergency response. According to an official release, so far 1,549 volunteers have registered under the initiative, while 155 have already been certified as Jan Seva Praharis. (ANI)