The two-day Uttar Pradesh investor summit will surpass all expectations about how much investment will come to the state, says chief minister Yogi Adityanath . Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the event in Lucknow on February 21. It will be attended by President Ram Nath Kovind, cabinet ministers including Rajnath Singh, Arun Jaitley and Nitin Gadkari. Business tycoons Mukesh Ambani, Gautam Adani and Anand Mahindra are also expected to participate. With just days left for the event, the CM talked toand. Edited excerpts:UP is the largest state in the country and also the biggest marketplace. It should have been the place that investors flock to, but in the last 15 years, the image of the state worked against this. The foremost thing for us was to change that image of UP. For that, we started teamwork and used technology to curb corruption.Another thing is that we addressed the law and order issue that had completely failed. Our entire focus was on that. For an investor, that he doesn’t have to be a victim of corruption in bureaucracy and that his property is safe are very important. In ease of doing business, we have jumped from 17th to 7th position. This is because of the changes we brought in the last ten months. In the case of law and order, in the last ten months, there hasn’t been any major riot, or kidnapping or any incident that must worry an investor. And, the message that we are working has gone out. I start work at 3am every day and the meetings go on for long hours, into the night at times. Besides creating a safe environment to attract investors, we are also bringing in the necessary reform in policy. As of now, notifications for change in 14 policies have already gone out. I think over 700 MoUs can get signed.I can tell you that the investor summit in UP will be better than any other summit held in the country. We have had a lot of people showing interest in our core focus areas.We will surpass all expectations.Every area in UP is traditionally known for producing at least one item that is the best, at least in the country. But it is unfortunate that in the last 15 years the leadership of the state choked the soul of the state. We have the best and maximum number of youth here.The good thing is we are No.1 in production of food grains, sugar, in connectivity — we are coming up with two more expressways and the Centre has already agreed for the Jewar airport . We were No.1 in MSME, but the traditional produce of UP was never given any importance. This is the first time we celebrated UP Days after 68 years. We started with one district and one product to honour the state that has been everything for us. The PM was an inspiration for us. All the schemes that he started — be in skill India or Jan Dhan — I used to think about the possibilities about connecting them with our people working in the MSME sector.During my meetings, I asked district officials to resolve their issues. I realised no one gives money to poor people starting their own business. We have 16,500 bank branches in the state, SC/ST women can get up to Rs 1 crore as loan, youth could get up to Rs 1 lakh. I went to Mumbai to talk to the heads of banks and asked them why they were not implementing these central schemes in UP. Now, in 75 districts, there is enthusiasm to increase participation in government schemes because people have faith in our intent.Yes, of course. All of them are coming. I went for the Mumbai roadshow myself. There were six roadshows in the country. In Mumbai, I met Ratan Tata, Mukesh Ambani, the Hinduja brothers, (Kumar Mangalam) Birla. I listened to their concerns, how businessmen were harassed in the state. The people who should be honoured were harassed. They told us they had sworn to themselves that they will never set foot in UP, but now they know that the situation has changed.They are assured that the state government is very serious about its promises. They have already sent in their proposals.The PM is coming too, and it is under his guidance that everything is being done. Even the President is coming for the closing ceremony.In the coming three months we would have acquired our land. We will hold a big event there. There will be an international airport and logistics hubs. I will make the announcements during the investor summit. We have big plans for the project.The day it was announced, I was the happiest. I had asked the health department four months ago to design a health insurance programme for the poor. After that, the next day itself, I went to Delhi and I spoke to the finance minister. I had told him whatever you decide of the Centre-state partnership in this — be it 30-70, 65-45 or 80 -20 — let’s go for it because I believe that a state like UP needs a scheme like this. We have already done homework on it and we will maximise the use of all our resources to ensure the programme is implemented well here. On an average, every day I have to give money to at least 150-200 people to address health concerns, for some surgery or operation. We do it procedurally by insisting on the income certificate. The scheme will benefit all of those people who don’t have access to my office and that is a huge number, considering our villages.The incident at Kasganj was an accident. There was no curfew imposed. The accident in a way also happened because the focus that day was on the Republic Day parade and on ensuring there were no untoward incidents due to the release of Padmavaat. Kasganj happened because two groups that had old animosity towards each another got into a fight. The inquiry was done in an impartial, but in a very stern way.There has been no fake encounter in UP. Not even one. The Noida incident that you are talking about, the SSP had instantly said that media reports calling it an encounter were wrong. It was because a disagreement had taken place between the two. The inquiry was on and people responsible for the crime also got arrested. Do you think we would have okayed an inquiry if it were an encounter, or filed an FIR? Rest of what is happening in UP, I can say is necessary. Every week there were at least two riots and kidnapping had become an occupation in itself. The criminals had houses of big leaders always open for them.That everybody knows who were the ones getting benefitted by the support of gangsters. Today nothing of that sort can happen. Sabki jawabdehi tai hai (everyone’s accountability is fixed in this government).What we are looking at is simplifying the way education is seen today. Clearing the exams by copying is not going to help the students in any way. We will give them jobs in other sectors.We are going for a complete overhaul of the education system in the state — primary and secondary, both. From April, it will be CBSE books for all students alike. The primary schools will have NCERT books, along with subjects on our culture, traditions and about the great people the state and the country have produced. It is very necessary that our children learn about where we come from and what this land represents.We want the children to never worry about exams. We will create an environment for that. Even the PM has written a book on it.We want to be very strict about the copying mafia. An inquiry has already begun. We want to give maximum importance to vocational education. We have managed to enrol 6 lakh youths in courses of which 1.4 lakh could also be placed in various units and enterprises. We want the energy of the youth to be diverted in useful work that can be of use to him if he is not interested in academics. A person who is struggling to fill up a form but is actually capable of working can actually help out in the manufacturing of our traditionally famous items.