Yogi Adityanath - The Monk Who Transformed Uttar Pradesh

Once known as a BIMARU (sick) state, Uttar Pradesh (UP) no longer carries that image. The state has witnessed a transformational shift in its governance and infrastructure in the past five years under Yogi Adityanath's rule. 

From Expressways like the Purvanchal Expressway, Bundelkhand Expressway, and Ganga Expressway to airports like Kushinagar and Noida International Airport at Jewar, the state is undergoing a significant transformation in connectivity. 

The focus has been not just on physical infrastructure but also on social infrastructures like AIIMS Gorakhpur and cultural infrastructure like the Kashi Vishwanath Dham project.

Road Infrastructure:- 

Uttar Pradesh today has an 800km long expressway network built over 15 years. With the addition of the recently inaugurated Purvanchal expressway, the state alone contributes to 28% of the country’s expressway network. 

Once Bundelkhand and Gorakhpur Link Expressways are completed, the state would have an expressway network of 1200 km long. 

While the BSP and SP governments were able to build only one expressway each in 10 years (2007-2017) namely the Yamuna Expressway and the Lucknow-Agra Expressway respectively, the Yogi-led BJP government has completed the Purvanchal Expressway and is about to complete Bundelkhand and Gorakhpur link Expressways by 2022.

Social Infrastructure:- 

Apart from expanding the connectivity through physical infrastructure, the UP government is giving equal importance to social and cultural infrastructure. An AIIMS hospital in Gorakhpur, the foundation stone for which had been laid by PM Modi in 2016 has been opened to the public in 2019. 

In the last two years, piped drinking water connection has been given to over 30 lakh rural families and almost every village has gained access to electricity.

Cultural Infrastructure:- 

The cultural and spiritual infrastructure is also getting a boost. From the rejuvenation of Kashi through Viswanath corridor to the redevelopment of Ayodhya, from the Vindyachal Corridor to the modernization of Gorakhpur and making excellent arrangments for Kanwar Yatra to Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, the Yogi government has not missed any chance to show its commitment towards promoting the culture and civilization of Bharat.

Strengthening of Law and Order:- 

Under Yogiji, there has been a huge drop in crime, Gunda raj (rule of goons), hooliganism, and riots in the state. From over 500 riots in a year, including big ones like the Mau and Muzzaffarnagar Riots, today there hasn’t been a single riot under the Yogi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Government. 

There has been a decline of 67.68% in incidents of dacoity, 66.08% in loot cases, and 25.69% in cases of murder. Likewise, there has been a drop of 100% in cases of road holdups, 41.51% in kidnappings for ransom, and 32.23% in cases of rape in the state of Uttar Pradesh in the last 5 years alone.

Wuhan Virus Response:- 

The Yogi Adityanath-led UP Government ensured the normalization of economic activities post the nationwide lockdown in April-May, 2020 and controlled the spread of the Wuhan Virus with the Test, Track, Treat, and Tackle (TTTT) approach. 

Despite being the most populous state in the country, UP managed to shrink the unemployment rate from 11% to 4% during the pandemic from March 2020 to July 2021. Notably, UP’s unemployment rate is currently lower than the national average.

Economic Response to the pandemic:- 

Financial support in the form of food grains and monetary benefits via Direct Bank Transfer (DBT) was provided to the poor people, including daily wagers, laborers, street vendors, coolies, rickshaw pullers, migrant workers and more during both waves of the Virus. 

Additionally, food grains were also provided free of cost to each member of the family since the start of the 2nd wave which is going on to date. All of this, in addition to the basic allotment under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) scheme.

Vaccination Status:- 

On 26 January 2021, UP had been successful in vaccinating 98.14% of its adult population with at least one dose of the Wuhan Virus vaccine and 66% with both doses. As on 10th February of 2022, Uttar Pradesh had administered over 27.30 crore vaccines to its eligible population.

Needless to say, under the leadership of Yogi-Modi, the state is undergoing an unprecedented transformation from a BIMARU state marred with mafia raj, weak law, and order, and poverty to one of the most vibrant and developed states in India. 

With a Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) of 17 lakh crores, UP is now the 2nd largest economy in the country, up from the 6th position earlier. The state is also second in the Ease of Doing Business Index and its per capita income has almost doubled since 2017. 

With the state bearing a population of 24 crore people, it is of utmost importance that the development continues unabated to realize the dream of a 5 trillion dollar Indian economy.

Written By - Megh Shah