Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath today blamed the previous state government for the delay in construction of the Mahesra bridge on the Sonauli-Gorakhpur road here.

Addressing a gathering after inaugurating the bridge, the UP chief minister said the bridge would connect Gorakhpur and its adjoining districts to Nepal, and usher in development and employment to the districts of east UP.

"Mahesra Bridge was damaged in 2006 and since then we had launched several movements for the reconstruction of the bridge. In 2009, a foundation stone for the bridge was laid and the Centre allocated funds, but due to shortcomings on the part of the then state government and prevailing corruption, the work took so long. We, however, completed the work in just 10 months. The delay shows how even the smaller issues used to linger on during the previous governments," he said.

The chief minister said the government would soon launch a massive sanitation and an encephalitis vaccination programme for children up to the age of 15 years from April.

Adityanath asked public representatives to ensure cleanliness in all districts and villages in order to combat encephalitis and promised medical facilities would be made available at the CHC (community health centre) and the PHC (primary health centre) level.

"CHCs, PHCs and district hospitals will be equipped with medical facilities and a team of doctors will be deployed at district hospitals after their training at the BRD medical college. By July 2018, the OPD at the AIIMS in Gorakhpur will start," the chief minister added.