Gorakhpur (UP), Aug 11 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday highlighted the transformation of eastern UP in the past nine years, claiming that the region had been freed from diseases such as dengue and encephalitis and crediting the BJP’s “double-engine government” for the change.
Speaking at an event hosted by News18 India in Gorakhpur, the chief minister also said that the past governments of the Congress and Samajwadi Party had failed to take measures against the diseases despite ruling the state for years.
He also claimed that eastern UP is fast emerging as a hub for medical centres, and asserted the state will move forward with its goal of becoming a $1 trillion economy in the next three years.
“Disease had become the destiny of this region — be it malaria, encephalitis, or dengue. These diseases would strike the innocent children of the area across different areas. Seven to eight years ago, the period from July to November brought nothing but fear and terror to every family in eastern Uttar Pradesh,” he said.
“I remember the battle against encephalitis. It is a matter of regret that the Congress governed the state for a long time, and the Samajwadi Party also had the opportunity to rule the state on four occasions during that period. Yet, they never spoke up against encephalitis. They never put in place any measures for its prevention or treatment. As a Member of Parliament, I fought this battle both on the streets and in Parliament,” he added.
The chief minister further said the situation changed when the BJP came to power in the state.
“When my party allowed me to serve the people of Uttar Pradesh as chief minister, we found a solution to the very disease I was fighting against for 18-19 years, within just two years of assuming power. Today, this region is free from encephalitis, as well as from dengue, kala-azar, chikungunya, and malaria,” Adityanath said.
“At one time, Gorakhpur’s BRD Medical College itself was sick. Today, the same medical college has developed into a new centre of super-speciality healthcare. Today, AIIMS has been established in Gorakhpur,” he said.
Referring to the law-and-order situation in eastern Uttar Pradesh, he said, “At one time, the discussion of the word ‘mafia’ used to begin from eastern Uttar Pradesh itself. Mafia and mosquitoes had become the tragedy of this region. The mafia sucked the blood of the people and mosquitoes spread diseases. The dreaded mafia active in eastern Uttar Pradesh were not confined to the local level; they also had international connections. These mafias had become a threat to national security.” He credited the region’s transformation to the BJP’s double-engine government.
“When the transformation of eastern Uttar Pradesh is spoken about, the region has witnessed this change over the last 12 years under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, and specifically over the past nine years under the ‘double-engine’ NDA government led by the BJP in Uttar Pradesh, he said.
“True transformation is not merely a matter of my claiming it. It is when the common people themselves begin to discuss it. When that change becomes visible to the public, then one can truly say that a transformation has taken place,” he added.
Adityanath also spoke about various developments made by the state in different fields.
He said the people of eastern Uttar Pradesh who went to different countries had proved their mettle and worked hard whenever they got an opportunity.
“Be it the Mughal era or the British period, or even the time after independence, this region has continuously fallen victim to that tragedy. This is the very region from where people migrated en masse due to disease and forced labour, he said.
“If you go to Mauritius, Fiji, or you look at countries across the globe, you will find that the people who went there as registered labourers hailed from this very region of eastern Uttar Pradesh. It is not that they lacked talent. Whenever they got an opportunity, they proved their mettle through their talent and hard work,” Adityanath added.
He said that individuals who were born on this very soil or whose ancestors were born here are providing leadership as heads of state in various countries across the world.
“This serves as the foundation for fulfilling public aspirations. In other words, the voice of the person standing at the very last rung of the social ladder must reach the administration. The opposition must discharge its responsibilities while playing this constructive role. And if, in the course of discharging that responsibility, someone says, ‘I will not listen to the people,’ is it possible for them to live up to the expectation of the people?” Adityanath said.
Adityanath said that eastern Uttar Pradesh has emerged as a rapidly growing economy on the strength of its youth power.
“The people here, especially the youth, never lacked talent or hard work. Whenever they got an opportunity, they proved their capabilities. Over the past nine years, the state has succeeded in tripling its economy. During this period, per capita income in eastern Uttar Pradesh has increased by more than three times. I am fully confident that within the next three years, Uttar Pradesh will move forward towards becoming a one trillion-dollar economy,” he said.
The chief minister added that it is not appropriate to cast any stigma on the youth.
“If the talent and capabilities of the state’s youth could not contribute to development earlier, the fault did not lie with the youth. Rather, the deficiency was in the system that was unable to utilise their talent. The deficiency was among those who could not provide platforms and opportunities for the youth to move ahead,” Adityanath said.
He said that when a government that provided platforms to the youth came into power, opportunities were created for them in every field. “ As a result, today, the youth of the state are proving their talent everywhere,” he said. PTI NAV KSI KSI
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