Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday highlighted the state’s transformation during the past eight years under the BJP-led government, stating that while the state remains the same geographically, its perception has “drastically changed”.
“Once labelled as a ‘Bimaru’ (lagging) state, it has now emerged as the growth engine of the Indian economy,” the Chief Minister said while addressing reporters here on completing his eight years in the office.
He announced a three-day ‘Vikas Utsav’ from March 25 to 27 across all district headquarters to honour farmers, youth, women, artisans and entrepreneurs while showcasing development milestones.
The Chief Minister reiterated Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a $5 trillion economy, emphasising the state’s critical role in achieving this goal.
He noted that UP is currently the second-largest economy in the country and is poised to take the top spot. Reflecting on the pre-2017 scenario, he recalled how farmers faced distress, youth struggled for opportunities, and lawlessness gripped the state. Over the past eight years, however, UP has led in various sectors, becoming a key contributor to India’s development.
Agriculture has seen significant progress, with food grain production increasing from 557 lakh metric tonnes in 2016-17 to 668 lakh metric tonnes in 2023-24. The government waived loans worth Rs 36,000 crore for small and marginal farmers and completed pending irrigation projects, benefiting vast areas of farmland. Ethanol production rose from 42 crore litres to 177 crore litres, and modern technology has enhanced paddy, wheat, pulses, and millet production.
Law and order have improved, with UP now considered a model for governance and policing. The Chief Minister pointed out that the Prayagraj Mahakumbh, despite massive gatherings, saw no incidents of molestation, robbery, or kidnapping. Women’s empowerment has been a priority, with increased female representation in the police force and initiatives like the BC Sakhi program ensuring banking services in 57,000 gram panchayats. One crore women have become self-reliant through self-help groups.
The state has also made strides in employment, with the unemployment rate declining from 19% in 2016-17 to 3% today.
Education has seen a transformation, with ten new state universities and 21 private universities established. The Mukhyamantri Abhyudaya Coaching Scheme is providing free coaching for competitive exams. Over six crore people have been lifted out of poverty, and 15 crore have received free ration for five years.
Infrastructure development has been a major focus, with six expressways operational and 11 under construction. Once the Ganga Expressway is completed, UP will account for 55% of India’s expressway network. The state has the largest railway network and metro systems, and it introduced the first rapid rail between Delhi and Meerut and the country’s first waterway between Haldia and Varanasi.
Urban transformation is evident, with cities like Lucknow, Varanasi, and Kanpur emerging as development hubs. In 2016-17, ten of India’s dirtiest cities were in UP; today, 17 municipal corporations have become smart cities.
CM Yogi emphasized that UP’s economy has strengthened without additional tax burdens. The state’s GDP has doubled from Rs 12.75 lakh crore in 2017 to Rs 27.5 lakh crore, while per capita income has nearly tripled.
