analysis

Updated: Mar 17, 2020 18:46 IST

As our government completes three years in power in Uttar Pradesh (UP) today, it is time to look at the numerous challenges we faced and how the government overcame them.

One challenge was to bring the marginalised and poor into the mainstream. The other was to tackle the problems of illegal mining and illegal slaughter houses, essential to preserve our natural habitat. There was also, of course, the other major issue of reforming law and order. On a larger canvas, we needed to change the work culture in the state. For this, we scrapped needless holidays and kick-started a more robust work ethos. One major focus of my government was to change the madrasa system and upgrade education for Muslim students.

When global investment came into the state, we promoted infrastructure development, initiating projects such as the Poorvanchal Expressway, Bundelkhand Expressway and Ganga Expressway. Air connectivity is high on our priority, and our government is working on 12 new airports. The Jewar International Airport has the potential to generate a substantial number of jobs and afford UP global recognition. Improved connectivity and better law and order have resulted in an 18.6% increase in investor interest in the state.

One of my most difficult tasks was dealing with agrarian distress. And we have succeeded in helping farmers to a great extent. The state has waived pending dues of more than Rs 92,000 crore. Two-thirds of the state’s population is engaged in agriculture. Working on the target set by the prime minister of doubling farmers’ income by 2022, the state government has implemented several schemes such as providing soil health cards to more than 40 million farmers. Thousands of farmers have been provided 40 to 90% subsidy for purchasing agricultural machinery.

Under the Namami Gange project, the Sisamau sewer in Kanpur, from which 140 million litres of sewage was discharged into the Ganga daily, has been closed. The far-reaching result of the work done by the state government for water conservation in the Ganga and its tributaries will soon fructify.

Since Independence, UP has had only 12 medical colleges. We have set up seven new medical colleges and have got approval for 13 more. We are also setting up All India Institutes of Medical Sciences in Gorakhpur and Rae Bareli.

Thanks to the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, the number of encephalitis infections has decreased by 56% and the death rate by 90%. People have started visiting government hospitals again.

No society can progress without education. Through Operation Kayakalp, basic facilities such as providing boundary walls, toilets, drinking water, and electrification have been undertaken in 92,000 primary schools. In these schools, 45,383 teachers have been recruited and the recruitment of 69,000 teachers is in its last phase. Similarly, 55 new government inter-colleges have also been approved in the secondary education sector.

The Vantangia, Kol, Musahar and Tharu tribes, which have been marginalised for centuries, were brought into the mainstream when we extended all public welfare schemes to their villages.

Under the Mukhyamantri Samuhik Vivah Yojana, more than one lakh poor girls were given Rs 51,000 each. Our anti-Romeo squads have prevented the harassment of women. As a result of the Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao and the Mukhyamantri Kanya Sumangala Yojana, among other schemes, the sex ratio has improved significantly in various districts.

In order to improve law and order, we have set up 41 new police stations, 13 new checkposts and recruited 1.37 lakh police personnel. By adopting a zero-tolerance policy towards crime and corruption, the police system has been streamlined. While dacoity cases decreased by 59.7% in 2019 as compared to 2016, there was a decrease of 47.09% in murder cases in the same period.

In opposition to the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, some anti-social elements unsuccessfully tried to disturb the peace, but they failed. After identifying the miscreants, the damages done to public property were recovered from them — an effort which has gained support across the country.

Owing to efficient planning, per capita income has been increasing in the state. The per capita income in 2014-15 was Rs 42,267, it is currently Rs 70,419.

It is a matter of personal satisfaction for me that Uttar Pradesh became the first state to implement the skill development policy, state health policy and declare human-wildlife conflict a disaster. It also bagged nine awards under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, seven under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, two under the Rurban Mission, one under the Livelihood Mission, one under the Gram Swaraj Abhiyan and one under the National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj.

Within three years, maternal mortality declined by 30%. Fourteen state organisations were honoured in the cleanliness survey and UP got the Nari Shakti Puraskar for setting up a One Stop Centre for women’s empowerment.

These are just some of the steps we have taken. The next two years, I am sure, will see greater progress in the state. The foundations for a new Uttar Pradesh have been laid.

Yogi Adityanath is chief minister, Uttar Pradesh. This piece is a translation of the CM’s piece, written for HT’s sister publication, Hindustan

The views expressed are personal