Taking a look at the changing journey of the state on Uttar Pradesh Day, know how under the Yogi government, UP moved rapidly from a sick state to the path of development through law and order, infrastructure, investment, agriculture and social schemes.
Lucknow. Uttar Pradesh Day is celebrated every year on 24 January. This day not only reminds of the formation of the state, but also gives an opportunity to think about where Uttar Pradesh stands today and in which direction it is moving forward. There was a time when Uttar Pradesh was counted among the ‘sick states’ of the country. Weak law and order, poor infrastructure, unemployment, migration and lack of investment had become its hallmark. After Yogi Adityanath became the Chief Minister in the year 2017, concrete changes were seen in both the picture and direction of the state.
Economy got new momentum in Yogi government
When Yogi Adityanath took over as the Chief Minister, the economy of Uttar Pradesh was worth about Rs 12.88 lakh crore. In its tenure of almost nine and a quarter years, the government has increased it to about Rs 31 lakh crore. Now the government aims to make Uttar Pradesh a trillion dollar economy by the year 2029–30.
People’s confidence returned due to law and order reform
Yogi government made law and order its priority as soon as it came to power. The politics of organized crime, mafia rule and riots had damaged the image of the state for a long time. The Chief Minister made it clear that a policy of ‘zero tolerance’ will be adopted against crime. Police reforms, strict action against mafia and confiscation of illegal properties broke the morale of criminals and restored the confidence of the general public and investors.
Riot control and safe environment
During the tenure of Yogi government, there was effective control on major riots and there was a continuous decline in criminal incidents. Its effect was also visible on the social environment. People started feeling safer working and traveling late at night. In the matter of women’s safety, a big change was also seen in Uttar Pradesh.
Map of the state changed due to investment in infrastructure
Weak infrastructure was also a major reason for Uttar Pradesh becoming a sick state. Broken roads, incomplete projects and poor connectivity hindered development. Yogi government adopted an aggressive strategy in this direction and created a strong network of expressways in the state.
Connectivity strengthened by expressway and airport projects
Projects like Purvanchal Expressway, Bundelkhand Expressway, Ganga Expressway and Agra–Lucknow Expressway made travel easier. Along with this, the expansion of the airport and plans for new airports strengthened Uttar Pradesh at the national and international level.
Identity of the state changed due to investment and industrialization
Improvements in law and order and infrastructure had a direct impact on investment. Uttar Pradesh emerged as an attractive destination for investors through the Global Investors Summit organized by the Yogi government.
Defense corridor and new employment opportunities
Big investment proposals came in sectors like defence, electronics, IT, data centre, pharma and food processing. With the establishment of Defense Corridor, cities like Lucknow, Kanpur, Jhansi, Agra and Aligarh are becoming centers of defense production, which has increased employment and technical training opportunities for the youth.
Special focus on agriculture and rural economy
Agriculture is the main basis of the economy of Uttar Pradesh. The poor condition of rural areas was also the reason for its weak identity earlier. Yogi government paid special attention to irrigation projects, crop insurance and payment to sugarcane farmers.
Rural economy strengthened by timely payment to farmers
Cash flow in villages increased due to timely payment to sugarcane farmers. New agriculture-based employment opportunities were also created by promoting dairy, fisheries and food processing.
Welfare schemes and transparent governance
Yogi government effectively implemented the public welfare schemes of the Center and the State. The benefits of schemes like Housing Scheme, Ujjwala Scheme, toilet construction and Ayushman Bharat reached people on a large scale.
Corruption curbed through direct benefit transfer
Through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), benefits reached the eligible people directly, thereby reducing corruption. This transparent and accountable governance style brought about a major change in the administrative culture of Uttar Pradesh.