Replaced previous govt's 'one district one mafia' with 'one district one medical college': UP CM Adityanath

Gorakhpur (UP): Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday said that his government had replaced the previous administration's policy of "one district one mafia" with "one district one medical college", bringing a significant transformation in the lives of people across the state.

Speaking at an event in Gorakhpur, marking eight years of its 'Seva, Suraksha, and Sushasan' policy under the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government in the state, Adityanath highlighted the state's progress since 2017.

He said similar programmes were being held across Uttar Pradesh to showcase the development initiatives and policy reforms undertaken in the last eight years.

Adityanath emphasised that the state's administrative structure had remained the same, but the change in government in 2017 had transformed Uttar Pradesh.

Notably, the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party was in power in the state prior to 2017. The BJP stormed to power in 2017 and remained unchanged in 2022.

"Earlier, the state lagged in development, youth struggled with an identity crisis, and unemployment and hunger drove people to despair. Women and traders felt unsafe. Today, Uttar Pradesh is self-reliant, empowering women, generating jobs for the youth and executing major development projects, making it one of the country's leading states," Adityanath said.

The chief minister said that before 2017, riots were frequent in the state, and those involved in political movements at the time knew how difficult the situation was.

"The previous government had enabled a system where every district had a mafia, engaged in illegal activities like land grabbing, illegal mining and extortion. Their henchmen posed a constant threat to traders and women.

“We eliminated these mafias and, instead of 'one district one mafia,' we introduced 'one district one medical college,' fundamentally improving people's lives," he asserted.

 Adityanath further said that the state, once avoided by investors, is now the country's top investment destination.

"The state has become a major hub for investment and tourism, attracting millions of people," he said.

 Highlighting infrastructure development, he stated that earlier, the roads were in poor condition, but the situation has changed in the past eight years, with the state having the highest number of expressways in the country.

 "The state also has India's most extensive railway network, the highest number of metro rail cities, and the country's first island waterway.

"Additionally, Uttar Pradesh remains the top producer of food grains in the country," he added.

The chief minister pointed out that before 2017, Uttar Pradesh lagged behind in 45 central government schemes, but today, it ranks first or among the top two states in their implementation.

"This success is the result of teamwork, public support, and a sensitive and committed administrative system. With strong willpower and determination, we have worked on the principle of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' (Together with all, development for all), and the results are evident," Adityanath said.

Speaking about Gorakhpur, he said the city's transformation before and after 2017 was visible to everyone.

He highlighted the thriving fertiliser factory in the city, improved infrastructure and road connectivity to Lucknow and Varanasi, among others, to stress his claim.

He also noted that two more universities have come up since 2017, taking their number to four and added that work was underway for one more varsity in the district.