UP has transitioned from 'fear zone' to 'faith zone', says Adityanath

Lucknow, Feb 13 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday asserted that the state has transitioned from a "fear zone" to a "faith zone" over the past nine years, moving away from a history of riots towards a culture of festivals.

Replying to the motion of thanks on the Governor's Address in the Assembly, the chief minister said the state now embodies "Triple-T", which he defined as technology, trust and transformation. He noted that the journey since 2017 has been defined by a shift from "crime and disorder to discipline" and from "curfew to rule of law".

Targeting the Samajwadi Party, Adityanath alleged that mafia elements enjoyed political patronage prior to 2017. He said his government's "zero tolerance" policy towards crime has ensured that no communal riots have occurred in the state during his tenure.

The chief minister informed the House that over 2.19 lakh police personnel have been recruited in the past eight years. This includes 44,000 women, marking a significant increase in female representation within the force. He highlighted that cyber crime police stations are now operational in all 75 districts, supported by new forensic laboratories and mobile vans.

Citing NITI Aayog data, Adityanath said more than six crore people in the state have been lifted out of multidimensional poverty. He credited the expansion of housing under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and health coverage under Ayushman Bharat for this shift. He noted that the number of medical colleges has increased from 36 to 81, while AIIMS facilities now operational in Gorakhpur and Raebareli.

He claimed that Uttar Pradesh has shed the "BIMARU" tag and is now among the top three state economies in the country. He attributed this to a boost in tourism in centres such as Ayodhya, Varanasi, Mathura-Vrindavan and Prayagraj.

On the industrial front, Adityanath said the state has 96 lakh MSME units providing employment to over 3.11 crore people. He noted that investment proposals worth Rs 50 lakh crore have been received over the last eight years, generating 60 lakh jobs. The number of factories in the state has more than doubled to over 31,000.

On infrastructure, the chief minister said Uttar Pradesh accounts for 55 per cent of the country's expressway network, Sixteen airports are currently functional, while five more are under construction.

The Noida International Airport, with five runways, is being developed as a major aviation and logistics hub. The Eastern and Western Dedicated Freight Corridors converge in Uttar Pradesh and multimodal terminals are being developed under the inland waterway project to promote exports.

The chief minister said women's participation in the workforce has risen from 12-“13 per cent before 2017 to 36-“37 per cent at present. He said out of nine lakh government jobs provided by his administration, 1.75 lakh were reserved for women.

He announced that the annual pension of Rs 12,000 currently provided to 1.06 crore destitute women, senior citizens and persons with disabilities would be enhanced, with budgetary provision already made.

Elaborating on the "Technology" pillar, Adityanath said the state is moving towards an innovation-driven economy. He pointed to the establishment of centres for artificial intelligence, semiconductor technology, data science, robotics, drones and space technology. He added that the unemployment rate has declined to 2.24 per cent from a previous high of around 19 per cent.

Rejecting opposition criticism over the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, he said the process is transparent and in accordance with guidelines of the Election Commission of India. Calling the state's progress a reflection of "modern Ramrajya", Adityanath set a target of making Uttar Pradesh the country's top state economy by 2029-30. PTI CDN AKY