Yogi Adityanath holds cabinet meet at Maha Kumbh, takes holy dip with ministers at Sangam later

Several decisions were taken to develop Prayagraj, Chitrakoot and some other religious towns in the cabinet meeting.

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday chaired a meeting of the state cabinet at Maha Kumbh in which several decisions were taken to develop Prayagraj, Chitrakoot and some other religious towns. The state government also decided to issue bonds to arrange funds for the same.

The entire UP cabinet later took the holy dip at the ‘sangam’ (the confluence of Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati river).

Speaking to reporters after the cabinet meeting, Adityanath said that two new bridges would be constructed over the Ganga in Prayagraj. A bridge would also be constructed on the Yamuna river.

‘’The entire cabinet is present in the Maha Kumbh for the first time....we have taken several important decisions for the development of Prayagraj and other places,’’ he said.

A proposal to set up multi super speciality hospitals at Prayagraj, Varanasi and Agra was also passed by the cabinet.

He said that three new medical colleges would be set up at Hathras, Kasganj and Baghpat besides 62 ITI’s and innovation centres.

The meeting of the state cabinet at Maha Kumbh triggered a strong reaction from the Samajwadi Party (SP). Party chief Akhilesh Yadav decried what he termed attempt to ‘politicise’ the Kumbh.

‘’It is wrong to politicise a religious event like Kumbh.....BJP always tries to politicise religious events,’’ he added.

The SP leader also alleged that the BJP was trying to occupy the Waqf lands in the state.

Earlier also the meeting of the state cabinet had taken place in the last week of January at the Kumbh in 2019.