Yogi Adityanath tells new ministers to make Uttar Pradesh No.1 state

Chief minister Yogi Adityanath swung into action immediately after the swearing-in ceremony and called the first meeting of his new council of ministers at Lok Bhavan here on Friday.

After a quick introductory session, the chief minister told the minister about his government’s priorities. The Yogi government 2.0 has 31 new faces.

Yogi Adityanath urged the ministers to make Uttar Pradesh the number one state in the country, work to fulfil the promises made to the people in the Lok Kalyan Sankalp Patra (manifesto) for the 2022 assembly election.

The Friday’s meeting would be followed by another on Saturday in which Adityanath is expected to announce the rollout of his party’s pre-poll commitments. The buzz is that announcing waiver of electricity bills for irrigation purposes could top the Yogi Adityanath government’s agenda.

“The portfolios of the ministers are likely to be allocated within 24 hours. The CM will outline the government’s focus in the meeting on Saturday morning and you will see the new government in action,” said a new minister.

Later, in a tweet, Yogi Adityanath congratulated the ministers.

“I have full faith that you will prove to be helpful in achieving the resolution of Antyodaya by fulfilling the expectations of the people. I wish you all a bright future,” he said.

At Friday’s meeting, the ministers were also told to prepare a road map for the projects and schemes to be launched by their departments, said a cabinet minister who did not wish to be named.

Another minister said the newly inducted ministers were told that they will have to submit a report card of the performance of their department each month and achieve targets.

They were also told they would have to work in coordination with the party organisation.

The BJP government has made it clear that there will be zero tolerance for corruption and crime.

The BJP’s other pre-poll promises include scooty for meritorious girl students, subsidised food canteens and a key ‘commitment’ to ensure job or self-employment opportunity to one member of each family over the next five years.

In its pre-poll pitch, the BJP had also promised that within 14 days of coming to power, it would ensure payment of dues to cane farmers. It had said that in case of delay, payment would be made with interest. This promise was made 48 hours before the seven- phase UP polls started on February 10.

The sugarcane minister in Yogi Adityanath’s first government Suresh Rana is among the 10 ministers who lost the elections.

“It would now be interesting to watch if the BJP fulfills its promise. They promised free cooking gas cylinders on Holi and they also promised free electricity to farmers. Holi came after their win but the free cooking gas cylinders didn’t. Now, that they have taken oath of office we will build pressure on them both inside the assembly as well as outside to fulfill their promises,” said professor Sudhir Panwar, who hails from western UP and is associated with the opposition Samajwadi Party.

Deputy chief ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak and other senior ministers were introduced to the new ministers.

The chief minister also collected feedback from the ministers about their experience, education and contribution in the social field, said the minister.

“Our agenda is clear. Delivering on our party’s pre-poll commitments,” said Keshav Prasad Maurya.

The Yogi 2.0 government has started holding meetings to ensure that its pre-poll commitments are met. Chief secretary Durga Shankar Mishra had held meetings with officials after the BJP’s win on March 10, to discuss ways to find solutions to vexed issues like that of stray cattle.

The Samjwadi Party and its ally, the Rashtriya Lok Dal, have convened a meeting of their lawmakers on Saturday.

As was evident by the boycott of the swearing in ceremony of Yogi Adityanath 2.0 government, the Opposition with increased presence will now look to pick holes in government’s functioning. Unlike 2017 when it had 47 MLAs, this time the Samajwadi Party has 111 lawmakers.