Lucknow, May 7, 2026

With Uttar Pradesh aggressively expanding tourism infrastructure across religious, heritage and cultural destinations, the state government has now set strict deadlines to ensure projects are completed on time ahead of the upcoming election year.

During a high-level review meeting of the Tourism and Culture Department in Lucknow on Thursday, Tourism and Culture Minister Jaiveer Singh directed officials and executing agencies to complete tender processes for newly approved projects and issue sanction letters by May 20, 2026.

He also made it clear that all ongoing projects must be completed by November 20, 2026, so they are ready for inauguration before the election cycle intensifies.

“Results should be visible on the ground by November. The culture of delaying files and passing responsibility will not be tolerated,” Singh said, while warning of strict action against officials and agencies responsible for unnecessary delays.

The minister expressed displeasure over incorrect progress reports submitted from some districts and said headquarters teams, along with photographers, will conduct regular field inspections to physically verify project progress and quality.

He asked officials to focus on execution instead of excessive paperwork and said delays in major projects linked to the Chief Minister’s vision would invite strict accountability.

Singh also reviewed pending tourism initiatives, including heliport projects in Agra and Mathura, and directed officials to fast-track pending proposals under the Centre’s Swadesh Darshan scheme, including works planned in Naimisharanya.

He further directed the department to prepare a district-wise report on all tourism and culture projects undertaken since 2017, including project costs, approvals, expenditure and current progress.

Additional Chief Secretary, Tourism, Culture and Religious Affairs, Amrit Abhijat directed executing agencies to create fixed payment schedules to ensure timely payments and prevent work disruptions.

He said delays in project execution would not be accepted and stressed that tourism infrastructure projects must be completed on schedule as the state continues to scale up its tourism economy across key destinations.

Senior officials from the Tourism and Culture Department, UPSTDC and executing agencies were present at the meeting.