As we celebrate our 77th anniversary of Independence, it is time to celebrate everything that is good and positive. India gained independence 77 years ago, but Uttar Pradesh Many obstacles plagued it for decades, hindering its development.
There have been attempts before to move the state forward rapidly, but none of them were as coordinated and determined as those seen in the last seven years. yogi adityanath Took over as the Chief Minister of India’s largest state.
This has not only changed the image and image of UP in the country and abroad, but there has also been a massive change at the ground level. So, what things has UP got freedom from in the last seven years?
‘BIMARU’ tag
If it were a country, Uttar Pradesh would be the sixth largest state in the world. However, in terms of reputation, it was at the bottom about a decade ago and was branded as a ‘BIMARU’ state. It had the image of a crime-ridden area where no investor wanted to invest. However, in the last seven years, under the leadership of CM Yogi, with a proactive approach towards change, this has changed. UP has lifted the most number of people out of multidimensional poverty in the last seven years.
According to the report of NITI Aayog, 3.43 crore people have come out of poverty in the state in the last five years. According to the report, the number of multidimensional poor in UP was 37.68% in 2015-16, which decreased to 22.95% in 2019-21. In 2022-23, this figure decreased to 17.40%.
It jumped from 11th place to second in ease of doing business and now ranks second after Maharashtra in terms of opening new enterprises, according to a recent report. UP has over 90 lakh MSME units, the highest in India and the state’s share in India’s total MSME count of 6.33 crore is around 14%. Also, thanks to One District and One Product, its exports have grown by over 100% in the last seven years and now UP ranks second among Indian states in terms of GDP. CM Yogi has now set a target of achieving $1 trillion status economy By 2027.
‘Crime state’ tag
A tough policy has been adopted to deal with criminals and mafia, which has brought in the rule of law. This is reflected not only in the statistics but also in the mindset of the people, which has changed the perception about the state.
The state has not witnessed a single communal riot in the last seven years and organised the ‘most organised’ Kumbh, the largest congregation of mankind, attended by over 24 crore devotees in just 40 days in 2019. The crackdown on mafia and gangsters has resulted in the recovery of assets worth Rs 3,793 crore between November 2019 and January 2024. Over 23,000 cases were registered under the Gangsters Act between March 2017 and January 2024, resulting in the arrest of over 72,900 accused.
The last seven years have seen a decline in all sectors of crime. According to official data, dacoity has reduced by over 87%, robbery by over 72%, murder by 40%, kidnapping for ransom by 68% and rape by 24%. Similarly, effective preventive action has resulted in a 4% increase in crimes under the Arms Act, a 32.5% increase under the NDPS Act, a 23% increase under the Gangster Act, an 18.35% increase under the Goonda Act and a 27.85% increase under the Excise Act.
as far as Crime Rate UP ranks 20th in terms of women’s safety. Women’s safety has been one of CM Yogi’s priorities. Major efforts have been made across the state to ensure women’s safety under Mission Shakti. 1,698 anti-Romeo teams have been formed across the state and help desks for women have been set up in all 1,584 police stations. Women cyber crime cells are functioning in all 18 zonal offices.
The ‘investor-unfriendly’ tag
In line with CM Yogi Adityanath’s vision of “Reform, Perform, Transform” under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the state has reaped the benefits of “double engine government” and has emerged as one of the preferred destinations for investors.
Moving away from its reputation of six years ago, the state has become a major state. Investment Destinations within the country, substantial domestic draw Tourism and obtaining vital funds from banks for industrial development.
MoUs worth Rs 40 lakh crore were signed at the Global Investors Summit, 2023, of which foundation stones for projects worth Rs 10 lakh crore were laid earlier this year. In the midst of the Covid pandemic, the Yogi government changed several agricultural laws to help both investors and workers.
‘Tourist-unfriendly’ tag
UP has emerged as one of the most preferred tourist destinations since 2017 and is set to reach the second position after Tamil Nadu with 32 crore domestic tourists in 2022-23. The triangle of Ayodhya, Kashi and Prayagraj has fueled this growth. The state is expected to overtake Tamil Nadu with over 48 crore domestic tourists this year. Now the government aims to grow the state’s tourism sector five times by 2028.
Laggard Tag
Under the guidance of CM Yogi, UP is leading in the implementation of most of the major schemes of the central government. The Yogi government has implemented various schemes of the central government for the welfare of farmers, poor, women, workers and the elderly. Housing and sanitation projects in the state have been implemented with complete planning with complete transparency.
2.62 crore farmers of Uttar Pradesh have benefited from the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana and more than 15 crore people are benefiting from the free ration scheme. Similarly, 55.83 lakh people in UP have benefited from the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (urban and rural) and 1.75 crore women of the state have benefited from the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana. Similarly, toilets have been constructed in 2.52 crore houses in the state under the Swachh Bharat Mission, in which 8.56 bank accounts have been opened under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana. Similarly, 1.58 crore families of the state are connected with the Saubhagya Yojana.
With six operational expressways and seven under-construction, UP is the expressway capital of India. The Ganga Expressway, scheduled to open before the 2025 Maha Kumbh, will be the country’s longest expressway, connecting Meerut and Prayagraj. Also, UP is now the only state with five international airports, with the Noida International Airport set to become operational soon.
(The author is a 1987 batch IAS officer (retired) and advisor to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath)
