Lucknow, June 7 -- Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday said Lucknow (his parliamentary constituency) was once considered lagging in the race for development, but today it has established its identity in the category of world-class cities. He was discussing the state capital's development projects at the 'Prabuddh Jan Samvad' programme at Rai Umanath Bali auditorium in Qaiserbagh. There was also an interactive session at Hardoi Road. Singh stated that he was not able to give as much time to Lucknow as he wanted, but he visited the city regularly at an interval of one-and-a-half to two months and held a dialogue with people in different areas. He asserted the pace at which the state capital has developed today is a matter of pride for the entire country. He added that when investors come from abroad to India and visit Lucknow, they appreciate the vast changes that have taken place in the city. The Lucknow of 10-15 years ago and today's Lucknow look completely transformed, he said. Singh said traffic jams were Lucknow's biggest problem. After becoming the Lucknow MP in 2014, he pushed the concept of building the Outer Ring Road around the city so that vehicles coming from outer areas could go directly to their destinations and would not have to enter the city. The Outer Ring Road was inaugurated two years ago, which has brought significant improvement in traffic management, said Singh. He also said many flyovers have been built in Lucknow in a short time, which has made commuting easier. "I keep thinking of new schemes for the city's development," said Singh. Referring to suggestions from local public representatives, he said development works have gained pace with public cooperation and support. During the interactive session, citizens placed various problems of the area and public interest issues before Rajnath Singh. Representatives demanded a permanent solution to the severe traffic jam from Chowk to Dubagga crossing. They also urged that Rashtra Prerna Sthal be opened free of cost for morning walkers and general citizens in the early hours.They thanked the defence minister for renaming Alamnagar railway station as Budheshwar station....