Lucknow: On the fourth day of the Monsoon Session, CM Yogi Adityanath addressed the Assembly, highlighting his eight-and-a-half-year tenure (2017–2025) while contrasting it with opposition rule from 1947–2017. He criticized the opposition’s so-called ‘vision,’ noting that in 70 years they failed to put UP on the development path, leaving incomplete networks and stagnant investments. Between 1947 and 2017, the state had just two expressways, under 12,000 km of national highways, few airports, no rural connectivity, and no industrial policy.
Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath Criticises The Opposition
The Chief Minister criticized the opposition, saying previous governments destroyed the state’s industrial infrastructure. Kanpur was left in ruins, traders and entrepreneurs were extorted weekly, and MSME clusters were pushed to the brink. He noted that traditional industries, which largely support the poor and backward communities in villages, suffered greatly under their rule.
He further said that his government promoted traditional industries, worked on training, technology, and packaging, and provided toolkits without discrimination. CM Yogi termed the opposition’s PDA (Pichhda, Dalit and Alpsankhyak) slogan as a ploy to deceive the public and said his government has truly worked for Pichhda (backward), Dalit and Alpsankhyak (minority) artisans.
In contrast, Yogi described his tenure as a period of excellent connectivity by water, land, and air. Capital expenditure increased from Rs 69,789 crore in 2017 to Rs 1,47,719 crore in 2025. The number of expressways rose from two to 22, including 7 operational, 5 under construction, and 10 proposed expressway’s forming the country’s largest network. UP now has the largest rail network in the country.
A multimodal logistics hub is being developed in Dadri (Noida), and a junction has been built for the Eastern and Western Freight Corridors and well-planned logistics parks have been established. The number of airports has reached 16, with five under construction and five international airports.
The Jewar International Airport is in its final stage of construction and will start by the end of this year. An MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Overhauling) policy has been created for aircraft, and 27 industrial clusters are being developed along the expressways. These improvements are reducing logistics costs and creating new dimensions for investment and employment.
On The Industrial Development Front
On the industrial development front, Yogi labelled the opposition’s rule a failure, citing poor law and order that deterred private investors, the absence of an industrial policy, and short-sighted decisions that drove public sector units toward closure.
Before 2017, traditional crafts and industries received no encouragement, leaving small and micro industries in each district in a dying state. In contrast, in the past eight years, the number of registered factories increased from 14,169 to 27,295. Investment proposals worth Rs 45 lakh crore came in, with projects worth Rs 15 lakh crore materializing and providing jobs to over 60 lakh youth and employment to million more people.
Through 33 sectoral policies and the One District One Product (ODOP) scheme, traditional industries were connected with technology and packaging. Over 77 GI-tagged products from Uttar Pradesh lead the country and are earning global recognition.
The Chief Minister said his government promoted Swadeshi products, while the opposition discouraged artisans, pushing them towards migration and starvation. In the last eight years, village cobblers, artisans, and potters were supported with toolkits, improving their lives. Earlier, markets during festivals were full of Chinese goods, but now they are flooded with UP’s handicrafts.
Yogi said he presents ODOP products to every guest, while the opposition government brought flower bouquets from foreign countries for the Saifai festival. In a jibe, he remarked that they speak of freedom but act like slaves. He accused them of defaming ‘Netaji’ (Mulayam Singh Yadav) and said that Shivpal Yadav was the last link to his legacy, but even he (‘Chacha’) was outwitted.
The Chief Minister stated that under the MSME Policy 2022, with 96 lakh units, Uttar Pradesh ranks first in the country, generating nearly 1.75 crore jobs. Industrial loan disbursement rose from Rs 3.54 lakh crore in 2017 to Rs 9.24 lakh crore in 2024–25. The Single Window System and Nivesh Sarathi portal have made things easier for entrepreneurs.
The Uttar Pradesh International Trade Show is organized annually in the state, where no one sees religion. In 2024, more than 500 domestic and foreign traders participated, receiving orders worth Rs 2,200 crore. Under the FDI Policy 2023, Fortune Global 500 and Fortune India 500 companies were attracted. From April 2000 to June 2017, only Rs 3,303 crore in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) came in, whereas from April 2017 till now, Rs 16,316 crore in FDI has been received.
