Gorakhpur, 11 August (H.S.): Chief Minister Yogi

Adityanath on Tuesday said that the youth of eastern Uttar Pradesh no longer

need to be associated with backwardness, unemployment or drug addiction. He

said, We cannot label our youth as drug addicts, we cannot stigmatize our

youth. If their potential was not realized earlier, the fault lay not with the

youth but with the system that was unable to utilize their talent.

Speaking at a news channel's Changing Eastern

Uttar Pradesh conclave at the Baba Gambhirnath Auditorium in Gorakhpur,

the Chief Minister said that today the youth of Purvanchal have opportunities

for education, employment, self-employment, and entrepreneurship. When the

government provided platforms and opportunities to the youth, they demonstrated

their talent and gave new impetus to Purvanchal's economy. Attacking the opposition,

the Chief Minister said that those who gained power in the name of Mahatma

Gandhi did not have the time to translate Gandhi's dreams into reality.

“Many have seized power in the country in the name

of the ‘Father of the Nation’ Mahatma Gandhi ji, but they never found the time

to properly realize his dreams on solid ground.Today, under the leadership of

the esteemed Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji, Kashi Vishwanath Dham stands

grandly before us all,” he opined.

Citing the example of Kashi, he said that Gandhiji

had visited the Kashi Vishwanath Temple in 1916. He had expressed his

displeasure at the narrow streets and filth there. Today, under the leadership

of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Kashi Vishwanath Dham has emerged in a

grand form. Yogi said that the development of religious places like Shri Ram

Janmabhoomi Temple in Ayodhya and Kashi Vishwanath Dham has not only

strengthened faith but has also given new heights to the local economy.

Tourists spend on services related to taxis, hotels, restaurants, flowers,

markets and boatmen. This creates new employment and income opportunities for

various sections of the society.

The Chief Minister said that by linking tourism

with faith, efforts have been made to strengthen the economy. Rapid work has

also been done to develop Purvanchal as a leading tourist destination.

From 'mafia-mosquito' to medical hub, Purvanchal: “The

Congress and the Samajwadi Party made no arrangements for the treatment of

encephalitis. As a Member of Parliament, I fought this battle from the streets

to the Parliament; today, this region is free of encephalitis,” he stated.

The Chief Minister said that eastern Uttar Pradesh

once grappled with the problem of mafia and mosquitoes. The mafia

sucked the blood of the people, and mosquitoes spread disease. He claimed that

previous governments had failed to implement effective measures for the

prevention and treatment of encephalitis. Taking aim at the long-term Congress

and Samajwadi Party governments, he said these parties did not even raise their

voices against encephalitis.

Yogi said that as a Member of Parliament, he fought

against encephalitis from the streets to Parliament. After becoming Chief

Minister, the government achieved decisive success in addressing the disease in

just two years. He said that today, the region is effectively fighting not only

encephalitis but also dengue, kala-azar, chikungunya, and malaria. He said that

BRD Medical College, once considered ailing, has now evolved into a

super-specialty center. AIIMS was established in Gorakhpur. Along with this, a

chain of medical colleges has sprung up in Purvanchal and surrounding

districts.

“When the mafia system was dominant, no investments

would come; during the Congress and SP governments, one family had control. Now,

entrepreneurs come to me from Maharashtra, Punjab, Gujarat, Karnataka, and

Tamil Nadu. Investment is flowing into eastern Uttar Pradesh, and the economy

has also advanced with the same speed. In the next three years, UP will move

forward towards a $1 trillion economy,” he remarked.

Referring to the construction and operation of

medical colleges in several districts including Kushinagar, Deoria,

Maharajganj, Siddharthnagar, Basti, Balrampur, Bahraich, Gonda, Sultanpur,

Pratapgarh, Ghazipur, Mau, Azamgarh, Chandauli, Sonbhadra, Mirzapur and

Ambedkarnagar, he said that these are not just centres of treatment but are

symbols of public confidence in health facilities. The Chief Minister said that

the mafia system has been eradicated from Purvanchal. The double-engine

government has worked towards ridding the state of both the mafia and

mosquitoes. This has also had an impact on investment and employment.

From 'One District One Mafia' to 'One District One

Product': CM Yogi said that during the tenure of previous governments, the

influence of the mafia in Purvanchal was a hindrance to investment and employment.

Today, the situation has changed. He said, Previous governments promised

One District, One Mafia, while we promised One District, One Product, and One

District, One Medical College.

He claimed that investments in Gorakhpur alone over

the past nine years have provided employment to nearly 50,000 youth. He also

mentioned the reopening of closed industries such as the fertilizer factory,

the Pipraich and Munderwa sugar mills, the spinning mill, and the Khajni

blanket factory. The Chief Minister said that due to improved law and order,

connectivity, and the industrial environment, entrepreneurs from other states

are now coming to Uttar Pradesh to invest. Previously, the migration of

manpower from Purvanchal benefited industries in other states, but now, with

local employment available, youth are refraining from migrating.

Gorakhpur to Lucknow in three hours with 14 flights:

The Chief Minister cited Purvanchal's improved connectivity as a key driver of

development. He said that the distance from Gorakhpur to Lucknow now takes

about three hours, compared to eight previously. The journey to Varanasi also

takes about two and a half hours, up from five to six hours. He said that about

ten years ago, Gorakhpur had only one flight operating occasionally, whereas

today, 14 flights are operating, all of which are seeing good demand. Improved

road, rail, and air connectivity has created an investment climate.

The Chief Minister said that the state's economy

and per capita income have been tripled in the last nine years. Eastern Uttar

Pradesh is also now playing a significant role in the country's economy. He

claimed that the goal is to move Uttar Pradesh towards a trillion-dollar

economy in the next three years.

He said that eastern Uttar Pradesh was once

considered a sick region with a weak economy, but now it is rapidly progressing

in the areas of health, education, employment, and infrastructure. The pledge

of a developed India will only be fulfilled when Uttar Pradesh becomes a

developed state, and for this, equal development of all regions, including

Purvanchal, Western Uttar Pradesh, Central Uttar Pradesh, and Bundelkhand, is

essential.

“Describing the talent of the youth as the state's

greatest strength, the Chief Minister said that the government has provided

them with opportunities and a platform. Now, these youth will play a decisive

role in taking eastern Uttar Pradesh to new heights of development and

prosperity. Our youth power is talented and energetic; whenever it has received

a platform, it has proven its mettle with its talent. Within just 9 years, five

new universities have been established by the government inside eastern Uttar

Pradesh. In the leadership of the NDA government, Eastern Uttar Pradesh has

witnessed transformation over the past 9 years,” he remarked to prior signing

off.

Hindusthan Samachar / Abhishek Awasthi