Infrastructure has made rapid progress in U.P. in past six years: Yogi

Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday said infrastructure has made rapid progress in Uttar Pradesh since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government came to power in the state in 2017.

Adityanath was addressing the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI)’s National Executive Committee Meeting (NECM) in Lucknow.

During his address, the CM said, “Infrastructure has made rapid progress in Uttar Pradesh in the past six years...The Ganga Expressway, which is under construction, is connecting Meerut and Ghaziabad to Prayagraj... Today if anyone wants to come from Meerut to Prayagraj, it will require 16-17 hours... But after completion of the Ganga Expressway, this time will reduce to six hours...”

Earlier, industrialists lacked confidence when they thought of investing in Uttar Pradesh, but the situation has changed after 2017, the CM noted.

“I had an opportunity to attend a FICCI event in 2017. I was clueless about what to say at the event because there was a dearth of trust between the government and the industry,” he said.

“Previous governments lacked the willpower to bring a change in the state. Bureaucratic barriers were hampering the state’s progress then... In the last six years, however, things have changed to such an extent that FICCI is organising its National Executive Committee meeting in Uttar Pradesh after 38 years,” Adityanath noted.

Stating that law and order was the most essential aspect to draw investments, he noted, “Today, Uttar Pradesh is crime-free. No one can extort ‘goonda tax’ from industrialists. In the ease of doing business, the state has moved up from 14th to second position in the country.”

Adityanath also pointed out that the 64,000 hectares freed from gangsters and mafias were not part of the land bank created for industrialists.

On water supply to Bundelkhand

As opposed to 2016 when the government had to ensure water supply to Bundelkhand through tankers (train), the state government has ensured tap water supply to every household in the region, the CM noted.

On industrial corridor

An industrial corridor on 38000 hectares of land will come up in Bundelkahnd between Jhanshi and Kanpur that will propel the state towards becoming one trillion-dollar economy, Adityanath said.

“Soon, Uttar Pradesh will become the country’s second-biggest economy. Before 2017, Uttar Pradesh was a ‘bimaru’ state. However, the state’s image has changed now,” the CM said. (With agency inputs)

Better law & order situation drawing investors to U.P: FICCI president

Improved law and order in Uttar Pradesh was driving investors to Uttar Pradesh, said FICCI national president Subhrakant Panda on Tuesday. “The development of Uttar Pradesh under the leadership of Yogi Adityanath is an example for other states. The unique demographic profile of U.P, coupled with initiatives such as One District One Product, is greatly contributing to the state becoming a premier industrial location,” said Panda.