New Delhi: The Uttar Pradesh Government on Tuesday approved a Rs 500 crore scheme, the Chief Minister Green Road Infrastructure Development Scheme (Urban), to construct roads of international standards in all cities, a release said.

The state cabinet meeting presided over by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath approved the scheme aimed at reducing the burden of extra vehicles on the roads due to increasing urbanization in Uttar Pradesh and maintaining ease of transportation, the official release said.

In the first phase of this ambitious scheme, road construction work will be carried out in 17 municipal corporations and all the roads between 10-45 meters will be developed as state-of-the-art roads. In the second phase, roads of 200 municipalities and 545 nagar panchayats will be covered, it said.

The state government will establish Urban Road Infrastructure Development Agency (URIDA) to develop, finance and monitor the roads of the civic bodies. A committee will be constituted under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary to monitor the works of URIDA. Its work will also be monitored through an online portal, it said.

In another decision, the cabinet approved 'Vandan Yojana' for the development and beautification of infrastructure facilities at the sites of cultural, mythological, religious and historical importance located in the urban areas..

Rs 50 crore has been sanctioned for the Vandan scheme for the time being while the Chief Minister and Finance Minister have assured to increase the funds for this. A committee headed by the District Magistrate will select such sites, the release added.

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