Pre-work proceedings on defence corridor have begun in UP: Nirmala Sitharaman. Defence corridor for Tamil Nadu was proposed in this year's budget. The corridor for UP was announced by PM Modi during Investors’ Summit in Lucknow

by Rajat Rai

Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday said the pre-work proceedings for the proposed defence industrial corridor has begun in Uttar Pradesh, and local industries are being tapped to expedite the process.

"Our officers are surveying all the cities that are in the framework of the corridor, and are working with small and medium industries to organise them under a Defence Manufacturing Society (DMS). The industries that have scope for defence production are also being tapped," Sitharaman, who was in Lucknow to celebrate the foundation day of BJP, said.

The Defence Expo is going to be held in Chennai soon, and the vital inputs generated through the Expo will be of great help for both the corridors, she added.

It is to be mentioned that while the defence industrial corridor for Tamil Nadu, passing through cities like Chennai and Bengaluru, was proposed in this years budget, the corridor for UP was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the Investors' Summit in Lucknow in February.

Sitharaman also went ahead to claim that the results of the by-elections - on the Phulpur and Gorakhpur seats of UP have not tarnished the popularity of the central government.