Surge of pilgrims in Ayodhya will lead to multiple economic gains: Yogi Adityanath

Well-planned roads, highway connectivity and other infrastructure development proving to be invaluable in managing the huge rush of devotees, says Yogi Adityanath

Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday said the fact that Ayodhya was now attracting devotees from across the country and abroad would lead to multiple economic gains. He made the comment here six days after the Ram temple was inaugurated in Ayodhya on January 22 with consecration of the Ram Lalla idol by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The temple was opened to devotees on January 23.

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath at an event in Gorakhpur on Sunday. Gorakhpur MP Ravi Kishan Shukla is also seen. (HT )

Well-planned roads, highway connectivity and other infrastructure development were proving to be invaluable in managing the huge rush of devotees, Yogi Adityanath said.

The chief minister was addressing a gathering at the convocation hall of Deen Dayal Upadhyay (DDU) Gorakhpur University on Sunday after distributing smartphones among 1,000 youths under the Swami Vivekananda Youth empowerment scheme.

Similarly, devotees at Gorakhnath temple were not inconvenienced during the Khichdi Mela on Makar Sankranti after widening of roads and expansion of other facilities, Yogi Adityanath added.

Describing technology as a vital weapon to combat corruption, Yogi Adityanath said before 2017, corruption in the Public Distribution System had brought people on the verge of hunger deaths in Deoria, Sonbhadra, Chitrakoot and other districts where ration mafia were active.

After being sworn in as CM, he directed officials to carry out raids on outlets, and 30,000 fake ration cards were detected thereafter, the chief minister said.

He also urged youngsters to follow Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s policy to become self-reliant. Universities had become a place just for distribution of degrees, but after the New Education Policy was formulated, a change had been witnessed as more job-oriented courses were introduced, he added.Smartphones were linked with various welfare schemes of the Union and state governments like PM Mudra scheme and CM Self- Employment scheme, he added. He also launched an online magazine on the occasion.