Uttar Pradesh Became One of India’s Leading Economies In 9 Years: CM Yogi Adityanath

Lucknow, July 15: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said, “The state government has succeeded in bringing about major changes over the past nine years in governance, law and order, the economy, agriculture, investment and infrastructure.”

He observed, “Before 2017, Uttar Pradesh was struggling with a crisis of identity, security and development, but over the last nine years, the state has established a strong identity among the country's leading economies.”

He remarked, “For the first time, a government in Uttar Pradesh would return to power for a third consecutive term. The NDA government will score a hat-trick in Uttar Pradesh this time."

The Chief Minister was addressing the special conclave 'Panchayat Aaj Tak Uttar Pradesh' organised by the Aaj Tak news channel in Lucknow on Wednesday.

The Chief Minister stated, "The working style and report card of the last nine years are before the people. The people are ready to deliver their verdict. The working style of the SP and other governments from 2003 to 2017 is also before everyone. Under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Modi Ji, we have worked to advance the vision of Viksit Bharat. We have benefited from the double-engine government, and Uttar Pradesh has succeeded because of it.”

He added, “The vision of Viksit Uttar Pradesh can only be fulfilled by a BJP double-engine government. A record was broken last year, and another one is about to be broken this time. For the first time in Uttar Pradesh, a government will return to power for a third consecutive term. The NDA government, under the leadership of the BJP, will score a hat-trick in Uttar Pradesh this time. There should be no doubt about it."

The Chief Minister asserted, "Had the SP's model of development continued, Uttar Pradesh would have sunk long ago. The Saifai family was ruining Uttar Pradesh, and the JPNIC building is an example of that. The SP prepared a DPR of Rs 200 crore for constructing JPNIC, but even after spending Rs 800 crore, it remains incomplete. A DPR of Rs 166 crore was prepared for the Gomti Riverfront, associated with the belief of Adi Ganga, but Rs 1,400 crore was spent, and the work still remains incomplete. During the SP government, only the government treasury was being looted."

CM Yogi pointed out, "In December 2016, the then Chief Minister laid the foundation stone of the Purvanchal Expressway. Thereafter, the project cost was fixed at Rs 15,200 crore. When we reviewed it in May 2017 after the government changed, we found that even the land had not been acquired. Major irregularities came to light, so the tender was cancelled. Two years were spent acquiring land. By 2018, we had acquired 90 percent of the land. Thereafter, the tender amount came down from Rs 15,200 crore to just Rs 11,800 crore. Within the same budget, we constructed a better Purvanchal Expressway than the one planned by the SP government."

The Chief Minister remarked, "Loot also took place in Uttar Pradesh's excise policy. Earlier, the state received only Rs 12,000 crore as excise duty. It was difficult for our government, but we changed the policy. Today, the government is receiving more than five times that amount, Rs 63,000 crore, in excise duty."

CM Yogi said, "Before 2017, when Uttar Pradesh lacked security, curfews would be imposed before festivals and disturbances would begin. Today, festivals of every community are being celebrated peacefully. Those who ordered firing on Ram devotees in Ayodhya are now talking about faith. They also had Namaz offered on the steps of the sacred Hanumangarhi. They filed affidavits before the Supreme Court of India claiming that Lord Shri Ram and Lord Shri Krishna never existed. They fielded their lawyers against the Ram Temple. Those who looted the country's treasury and created a crisis of identity now see theft in Ayodhya, but they do not see their own dacoity."

The Chief Minister stated, "The incident in Ayodhya has certainly hurt all Ram devotees. It is an independent trust, and the government has no authority to interfere in it. At the request of the Trust, the state government constituted an SIT. As soon as the SIT report came, the Trust initiated action. Those caught committing theft, along with their associates, were arrested. Two resignations were also tendered on moral grounds. However, using this incident to defame Ayodhya, Shri Ram Janmabhoomi, or to attack Hindu faith is not justified. When these centres of faith are becoming a model for the country and Uttar Pradesh is advancing in terms of identity, it may cause discomfort to the SP."

CM Yogi highlighted, "Centres of faith have given momentum to the economy. This has improved the economic condition of flower vendors, rickshaw pullers, hotel operators and taxi operators as well. During the Mahakumbh in Prayagraj, a boatman earned Rs 30 crore, but they do not like that."

The Chief Minister said, "Only two families have patented prosperity in their own names. They cannot understand the suffering of a poor person. Both princes were born into families where they were accustomed to eating with silver spoons. They have been used to waking up late. They do not know what it means to endure the hardships of heat or rain. Both travelled to Australia to enjoy the FIFA Cup and to the United States on tourist visas. With whose money are they travelling abroad? Here, they work to divide society, but the people know all their deeds."

CM Yogi remarked, "Before serving as Chief Minister for a long period, I had the opportunity to represent one of the most backward regions of Uttar Pradesh in the Parliament of India as a Member of Parliament. I used to struggle over various issues and tried to raise them in Parliament. At times, I also felt disappointed. It seemed that dying due to disease and hunger, people bowing before the mafia, people yearning for electricity and basic public amenities, the identity crisis before the youth, and farmers' suicides had become the destiny of Uttar Pradesh. It pained me, and I wondered whether these problems could never be resolved.”

He added, “When the party gave me the opportunity to lead the government, and today when I see the positive results, I can say that no separate team came with me from Delhi or Gorakhpur. No one came with me. I was elected Member of Parliament from Gorakhpur five times, yet not a single person came from there. I tried to work with the team that I found in Lucknow, and the results are before everyone."

The Chief Minister asserted, "Over these nine years, Uttar Pradesh has emerged from its crisis of identity. We have succeeded in tripling the state's economy and per capita income. The presence of women employees has increased threefold. Uttar Pradesh, once categorised as a BIMARU state, has established itself among the country's top three economies within nine years. What was there that could not be achieved in Uttar Pradesh?"

CM Yogi pointed out, "Before 2014, there was also a kind of double-engine government. The Congress-led UPA government was in power at the Centre, while the Samajwadi Party government was in power in Uttar Pradesh. Both were working together, yet the people had no faith in them. Their situation was like being caught between a well and a ditch. Had those who preach today adopted these principles before 2014, they would not have been pushed to the margins."

He further added, "The youth of Uttar Pradesh used to hide their identity because they could not get jobs. Even after applying, they were not selected despite being qualified because government jobs were dominated by a few districts and a few people. Before 2017, the law and order situation was in shambles. Daughters and traders were not safe. Parallel governments of the mafia operated alongside the elected government. The media, common citizens, traders, daughters and entrepreneurs, no one was safe. Even traders and ordinary citizens prayed to God before leaving home that they would be able to return safely to their families in the evening."

The Chief Minister said, "Entrepreneurs did not want to invest. The government had neither the right policy nor the right intent. Lawlessness had reached its peak, and governments appeared to be grovelling before the mafia. Even today, you hear them saying in their speeches that if they return to power, they will investigate why mafias are being killed. Even today, their sympathy lies with those mafias and their henchmen who are either in jail or have already departed for hell. Even today, they show no sympathy towards the citizens of Uttar Pradesh."

The Chief Minister stated, "Take the report card of the 23 years from 2003 to 2026 to the people. Compare the first five years under Mulayam Singh, the next five years under Mayawati, the following five years under Akhilesh, and the last nine years of our tenure, and ask the people how satisfied they are. You will remember the late Rajiv Gandhi's statement in which, in disappointment, he had said, 'We send Rs 100, but only Rs 15 reaches the ground.' Who, after all, was pocketing the remaining Rs 85? It was the scholarship meant for students, jobs meant for youth, pensions meant for elderly persons and destitute women, food meant for the poor, and funds meant for building toilets for our sisters and daughters. Previous governments committed dacoity over those 85 percent funds.”

He highlighted, “Today, through DBT, when Rs 100 is sent from Delhi or Lucknow, it goes directly into the beneficiary's account. Every eligible person is receiving the full benefit of government schemes."

CM Yogi said, "Uttar Pradesh has demonstrated over the past nine years that, with determination and willpower, the country's most populous state can become free from riots, disturbances and curfews while reclaiming its traditional identity."

The Chief Minister remarked, "Every year during this season in eastern Uttar Pradesh, deaths due to encephalitis used to occur. Every family lived in fear, wondering which child might fall victim to the disease. Every year, between 1,200 and 1,500 people lost their lives. Today, deaths due to encephalitis have come down to zero. There were also deaths due to hunger, but today we have achieved 100 percent saturation. They have received land allotments, houses, Ayushman Cards, LPG cylinders and employment opportunities."

CM Yogi informed, "Traditional enterprises that once gave Uttar Pradesh its identity have been revived. Immediately after Independence, in 1950, Uttar Pradesh contributed 14 percent to the country's economy, but before 2017, it had declined to around 7 percent. Uttar Pradesh was moving towards decline. At that time, farmers did not receive water, seeds or electricity. Farmers were afraid to go to their fields. They did not receive fair prices for their produce because middlemen reaped the benefits. Agriculture is the foundation of Uttar Pradesh, but there was no encouragement at the government level. When manufacturing power is combined with traditional enterprises, it accelerates the economy. We had an excellent MSME network for manufacturing, but the inspector raj of previous governments destroyed it. People suffered departmental harassment. Entrepreneurs were reduced to the status of artisans, and farmers were forced to commit suicide. Under such circumstances, the economy of Uttar Pradesh was bound to decline."

The Chief Minister said, "Between 2017 and 2026, we have succeeded in increasing Uttar Pradesh's agricultural growth rate from 8 percent to 18 percent. The America-Iran and Russia-Ukraine wars are ongoing, and naturally there should have been a shortage of fertilisers, but farmers in Uttar Pradesh are receiving fertilisers, seeds and pesticides on time. Over the past 10 years, the double-engine government has provided additional irrigation facilities to 24 lakh hectares of land in Uttar Pradesh. The Saryu Canal National Project, which was approved in the 1970s, was completed in Uttar Pradesh by the double-engine government.”

He also referred to the Arjun Sahayak Project in Bundelkhand. He noted that farmers in Mahoba earlier earned Rs 5,000 per bigha, whereas today those same food growers are earning Rs 50,000 per bigha. He also highlighted the success of the Bansagar Project.

The Chief Minister highlighted, "Farmers in Uttar Pradesh are being provided 10 hours of electricity for agriculture, and electricity for them is free. There are 16 lakh private tubewells in the state, and electricity for all of them has been made free. In 2017, sugarcane price payments for 10 years were pending. So far, sugarcane farmers have been paid Rs 3.23 lakh crore. Farmers are receiving Rs 300 to Rs 400 per quintal for sugarcane. Today, 122 sugar mills are operational. Of these, 105 sugar mills are making sugarcane payments to farmers within four days. Efforts are underway to ensure that the remaining mills make payments within 15 days.”

He added, “Today, instead of middlemen, the government is purchasing farmers' produce directly from them. If farmers get a better price in the market, they are free to sell there. If they do not receive a fair market price, the government will purchase their produce at the MSP, which is one-and-a-half times the cost of production, and then market it on its own. Today, every facility, including the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana and the Mrida Swasthya Card Yojana, is being made available to farmers. The increase in the agricultural growth rate reflects the facilities provided by the double-engine government.”

The Chief Minister said, "Earlier, MSMEs had become defunct, and artisans had migrated. Today, they are progressing once again. Uttar Pradesh operates the highest number of MSME units in the country, with 96 lakh units. The government is also providing a social insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh to every unit. More than 3.25 crore people have been provided employment through them."

CM Yogi stated, "To achieve the goal of good governance in a state like Uttar Pradesh, establish the rule of law. Provide an excellent security environment. The objectives of good governance will automatically begin to be achieved. The Uttar Pradesh government has worked effectively to strengthen this. Today, it feels good to hear that other states have accepted the Uttar Pradesh model in terms of security."

The Chief Minister remarked, "Earlier, when I looked at the list of top-performing states in implementing government schemes in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh was nowhere to be seen. It used to appear among the bottom three. Such was the mindset of the governments then. Over the past 12 years, under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi Ji, more than 100 public welfare schemes have been launched. Today, Uttar Pradesh ranks at the top in every scheme. The success of a scheme in Uttar Pradesh means it has succeeded across the country. At the same time, it has become a model for the world. Today, the poor have received houses and toilets. Every poor person is receiving facilities for which they had longed for decades. Now, no one comes with complaints."

The Chief Minister pointed out, "Before 2017, people in the eastern districts died due to hunger. This government installed E-PoS machines. Today, 16 crore people in Uttar Pradesh are receiving free ration. Around 80,000 fair price shops have been linked through E-PoS machines. If there is even the slightest short-weighing at a fair price shop in any village, an alert is generated, following which a team immediately conducts a raid and takes action."

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The Chief Minister asserted, "Electricity is now being supplied normally across all 75 districts of Uttar Pradesh. Before 2017, power supply during peak hours was only 15,000 to 16,000 MW. Today, it ranges between 33,000 and 35,000 MW. This is the new Uttar Pradesh."

CM Yogi said, "Uttar Pradesh has formulated more than 34 sectoral policies, which have boosted investment. Investment proposals worth Rs 50 lakh crore have been received. Ground-breaking has already taken place for proposals worth Rs 15 lakh crore, while preparations are underway for the ground-breaking of proposals worth Rs 7.50 lakh crore. This is the new Uttar Pradesh, under which 65 lakh youth have been provided jobs."

The Chief Minister remarked, "Compared to any other state in the country, the best roads will be found in Uttar Pradesh. Uttar Pradesh accounts for 60 percent of the country's expressways. The highest number of airports are in Uttar Pradesh. Before 2017, only two airports were operational in the state; today, there are 17. Of these, five are international airports, including the Noida International Airport inaugurated by Prime Minister Modi. It has 14,000 acres of land, and no other airport in the country has that much land. As new aircraft are introduced, air connectivity from all airports will improve further. The state government is also working on five new airports."

CM Yogi said, "Earlier, no one had even imagined that Azamgarh would have an airport, but that too has become a reality. No one envisioned airports in Shravasti, Aligarh, Moradabad and Sonbhadra either, but that dream has also been fulfilled. The 12-lane expressway between Delhi and Meerut has been completed, and the Rapid Rail has also become operational. The country's first inland waterway is operating between Varanasi and Haldia. At the same time, Uttar Pradesh has the highest number of cities with operational Metro services, with Metro services running successfully in seven cities."