Adityanath gives report card on govt's work, says will win 2022 elections

Uttar Pradesh ranks number two among states for ease of doing business, says chief minister.

Uttar Pradesh had slowed down the coronavirus, improved investments and ended riots in the BJP’s more than four years of governance, said chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday, asserting his party would return to power in 2022.

“Earlier, UP was ranked 14th in the Ease of Doing Business matrix, now the state is ranked 2nd. The state’s economy has also jumped to the 2nd position during our regime,” he said at a press conference in Lucknow where he presented a report card on his government’s work.

He claimed the government had facilitated direct benefit transfer (DBT) worth Rs 5 trillion to different sections of society, while private investments totalling Rs 3 trillion had flowed to the state since 2017. “The synergy between the UP government and the party organisation together with the guidance of the PM (Narendra Modi) and the support of the central leadership has resulted in unprecedented growth witnessed in the state in the last four and half years.”

He claimed his government had provided government jobs to 450,000 people while employment and self-employment opportunities of 16 million had been generated in the private sector by enabling improvign business environment.

Attacking the opposition, he said UP was earlier associated with professional criminals, mafia elements and widespread corruption, which had kept investors at bay.

“Now, the top industrialists are ready to invest in UP owing to the marked improvement in the state’s overall perception and ground situation. Even during the pandemic, the state witnessed the setting up of a (smartphone) Display Unit, which shifted from China to India,” he said.

The Chief Minister said the ‘UP Model’ of Covid-19 management had been widely acknowledged. “Despite being the most populous state, UP now accounts for low positivity rate and active cases, while conducting the largest number of tests and administering the maximum number of vaccinations so far.”

He said his government was pro-farmer, which reflected in ensuring sugarcane payments worth Rs 1.42 trillion since 2017 and record procurement of wheat and paddy from farmers. “We procured directly from the farmers and weeded out middlemen. The sugar mills continued to function even during the pandemic period for the benefit of farmers.”

 “In the previous regime during 2012-17, a riot was reported every 3-4 days. Ever since we came to power, there have been no riots in UP. We have confiscated property worth Rs 1,800 crore from mafias and demolished illegal constructions thereon.”

Adityanath said the BJP will retain power by winning 350 seats in assembly elections scheduled next year. The party won 325 seats in elections held in 2017 for 403.