Lucknow, July 14: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said, "Those for whom the nation is not supreme are continuously attacking the country's identity and faith. In the matter related to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir, the SIT is conducting an impartial investigation at the request of the Trust, and strict action is being taken against the accused. Resignations have also taken place on moral grounds. However, those who are trying to play with people's faith and target Hindu pilgrimage centres under the guise of this unfortunate incident are the same people who used to rob the poor of their rights and made a malicious attempt to offer namaz at the sacred Hanumangarhi."
The Chief Minister appealed to the people to remain vigilant against such forces that seek to undermine national values.
The Chief Minister was addressing Republic Bharat News channel's special conclave 'Oonchaiyon Par UP' in Lucknow on Tuesday. On the occasion, he highlighted the transformational changes and achievements in Uttar Pradesh during the past more than 9 years. He said, "Under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the firm resolve of the double engine government, Uttar Pradesh has today emerged from the category of a 'BIMARU' state and become one of the country's top three economies."
He stated, before 2017, a riot took place every third day in Uttar Pradesh and curfews continued for months. Daughters and traders were not safe. There were more than 35 districts where people sent their daughters to hostels or relatives' homes outside Uttar Pradesh for education. Others stopped sending their daughters to school altogether out of concern for their safety. Traders did not know whether they would return home safely. Farmers were afraid to even go to their fields.
The Chief Minister further informed, at that time, whenever a bomb blast occurred anywhere in the country, Uttar Pradesh's name would be linked to it. During previous governments, rioters were invited to the Chief Minister's residence and honoured. Governments bowed before mafias and surrendered to them. The new generation needs to know this. But over the past 9 years, our identity has become that of a riot-free, curfew-free and disturbance-free Uttar Pradesh. Today, every person in Uttar Pradesh, including daughters and traders, is safe.
The Chief Minister stated, "Had we not created an atmosphere of security, no investor would have come to Uttar Pradesh. We planned the Investors Summit in October 2017 and formulated policies for it. As a result, Uttar Pradesh has received investment proposals worth Rs 50 lakh crore, out of which projects worth more than Rs 15 lakh crore have already been implemented on the ground. Before 2017, Lucknow's Chikankari, Firozabad's glass industry, Moradabad's brass industry, Meerut's sports industry, Bhadohi's carpet industry and Banaras' sari industry were on the verge of collapse."
He added by saying, entrepreneurs and traders had no option but to sit idle at home. After the double engine government came to power, we branded these under the 'One District One Product' (ODOP) initiative. 79 from 75 districts have been linked with GI tags. At present, 96 lakh MSME units are functioning in Uttar Pradesh under ODOP, providing employment to 3.25 crore youth. Today, Uttar Pradesh is exporting ODOP products worth more than Rs 2 lakh crore.
The Chief Minister said, "Under previous governments, backwardness, disorder, riots, hooliganism, curfews and unemployment had become the identity of Uttar Pradesh. The youth suffered the consequences in the form of unemployment. After forming the government, we decided in the very first Cabinet meeting to provide relief to the Annadata farmers, but the treasury was empty. Bankers were not answering phone calls. The then Finance Secretary was citing ill health and asking to be relieved of his responsibilities. But once we started taking firm decisions, the results began to emerge."
He continued by saying, in reality, Uttar Pradesh was not BIMARU; it was the mindset governing the state before 2017 that was diseased. It was this mindset that forced farmers to commit suicide, created an identity crisis for the youth and instilled a sense of insecurity among every citizen.
He added by saying, Uttar Pradesh's budget has increased from Rs 3 lakh crore to more than Rs 9 lakh crore. In 2016-17, the state's total GSDP was Rs 12 lakh crore, which has now reached Rs 36 lakh crore. At that time, per capita income was only Rs 43,000; today it has crossed Rs 1.20 lakh. Women's participation in the workforce in Uttar Pradesh was only 12 percent, whereas today it is more than 38 percent. The unemployment rate has declined from 19 percent to less than 3 percent. This is the picture of a new Uttar Pradesh.
The Chief Minister informed, "Today, Uttar Pradesh accounts for 60 percent of the country's expressways. The Purvanchal Expressway, Bundelkhand Expressway, Gorakhpur Link Expressway and the country's largest Ganga Expressway have all been launched. From Monday, the Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway has also become operational. Whether interstate connectivity or district headquarters, all are connected by four-lane roads."
He further added, Uttar Pradesh is also home to the country's first Inland Waterway, Rapid Rail and the city of Varanasi, which will soon be connected by ropeway. Uttar Pradesh has the highest number of airports and operational metro systems. It also has the country's largest railway network. All of this was only a dream nine years ago.
The Chief Minister said, "A few days ago, the Uttar Pradesh government organised the Mango Festival, during which thousands of tonnes of mangoes were exported. People from across the world were lining up to buy Uttar Pradesh's mangoes. Before 2014, farmers were forced to commit suicide due to the lack of facilities. Between 2007 and 2017, 29 sugar mills in Uttar Pradesh were either shut down or sold. The land of sugar mills that were sold for Rs 3 crore each was itself worth hundreds of crores of rupees."
He added, since 2017, our government has paid Rs 3.23 lakh crore in sugarcane dues directly into the accounts of farmers. A total of 122 sugar mills are currently operational. Uttar Pradesh ranks No. 1 in the country in sugarcane, sugar and ethanol production.
The Chief Minister said, "Over the past 9 years, irrigation facilities have been provided to 24 lakh hectares of land in Uttar Pradesh. The Bansagar Project had remained pending for decades, but it was completed under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana. It has provided irrigation facilities to 2.5 lakh hectares of land. The Arjun Sahayak Project in Bundelkhand had also remained pending for decades, and we got it completed."
He stated, the Saryu Canal National Project had been approved by the Planning Commission in the 1970s. Its foundation stone was laid in 1977, but it was never completed. Initially, only Rs 100 crore was to be spent on it, but because the work was not completed on time, the expenditure rose to Rs 10,000 crore. Farmers are now being provided 10 hours of electricity supply. If the Annadata farmer prospers, the state will prosper.
CM Yogi said, "More than 9 lakh youth have been given government jobs in the state. More than 2.25 lakh recruitments have been made in the Uttar Pradesh Police alone. Before 2017, there were only 10,000 women police personnel in the Uttar Pradesh Police. Their number has now increased to 45,000."
The Chief Minister said, through welfare schemes, 16 crore poor families in Uttar Pradesh are receiving the benefit of free ration. Around 1.6 crore families are receiving an annual pension benefit of Rs 12,000 through the Nirashrit Mahila Pension, Old Age Pension or Divyangjan Pension schemes. More than 25 lakh women and girls are benefiting from the Mukhyamantri Kanya Sumangala Yojana.
He further added, more than 5 lakh mothers are receiving benefits under the Pradhan Mantri Matritva Vandana Yojana. More than 6 lakh girls have been married under the Mukhyamantri Samuhik Vivah Yojana. Now, fathers no longer have to worry about where they will arrange money for their daughters' marriage once they grow up.
