Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday said that Kashi had undergone a significant transformation under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, describing the city as having a “new aura” while retaining its cultural heritage.
Addressing the Swachhata Mitra Samman ceremony in Varanasi, CM Yogi recalled the conditions in the city before 2014, citing heaps of filth, stray cattle, narrow lanes, inadequate electricity and traffic congestion.
“All of you can see that Kashi has changed. The transformation of the eternal Kashi has taken place under the guidance and leadership of Prime Minister Modi. The Kashi with its narrow lanes, where before 2014 one could see heaps of filth, where stray cattle roamed the streets, where Kashi had to yearn for electricity. The Kashi, for which traffic jams had become fate… People had accepted it as their destiny to move forward in life amidst that filth,” he said.
“That same Kashi today is moving forward with a new aura, a new form, and a new guise while preserving its cultural heritage,” the Chief Minister added.
Emphasising the importance of public participation in sustaining the city’s development, CM Yogi said that while the government could undertake construction and infrastructure projects, their preservation depended on an aware and responsible society.
“The government can carry out construction work, but the responsibility for its preservation and protection lies with an aware society. If the public is not aware, even the grandest construction won’t take long to crumble to ruins,” he said.
During his two-day visit to Varanasi, the Chief Minister also inspected Namo Ghat to review preparations for the upcoming air show scheduled to be held in the city on October 22, 23 and 25, with October 26 designated as a standby day.
CM Yogi reviewed the arrangements for Prime Minister Modi’s participation in the event and sought updates from officials present at the site. Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and other dignitaries are scheduled to attend the air show on October 25.
The Chief Minister directed officials to ensure adequate security arrangements at Namo Ghat and other Ganga ghats and complete all preparations for the event as a priority.
Police, district administration and Army officials briefed Adityanath on the preparations, using a project map to explain the arrangements.
State Finance and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Khanna, Stamp Minister Ravindra Jaiswal, AYUSH Minister Dayashankar Mishra ‘Dayalu’ and Minister of State for MSME Hansraj Vishwakarma accompanied the Chief Minister during the inspection.
Mayor Ashok Kumar Tiwari, District Panchayat President Poonam Maurya, former minister and MLA Neelkanth Tiwari, MLAs Saurabh Srivastava, Sunil Patel and T Ram, Police Commissioner Mohit Agarwal, District Magistrate Satyendra Kumar and senior Army officers were also present.