Gorakhpur , Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday accused the Samajwadi Party of having a "mafia-oriented" mindset, alleging that its leaders were involved in land-grabbing, and said his government had completed the first project aimed at eliminating the menace of mosquitoes and mafia from Gorakhpur.
Addressing a gathering after inaugurating the first phase of the Gordhoiya drain project, he said, "The Samajwadi Party is a party with a mafia-oriented mindset. Just as a dog's tail can never be straightened, SP leaders can never mend their ways."
The chief minister said that before 2017, poor sanitation, waterlogging and contaminated drinking water had contributed to the spread of encephalitis, malaria, dengue and other waterborne diseases, claiming that thousands of children fell ill and died prematurely.
He inaugurated the first phase of the Gordhoiya drain project, built at a cost of more than ₹495 crore, and laid the foundation stone for the second phase, the Gorakhpur Sewerage Scheme Zone A-3 and a proposed service road parallel to the drain. These projects will cost more than ₹880 crore.
The government has also ensured that houses which had existed along the drain for a long time were not damaged during the removal of illegal encroachments, Adityanath said.
{{/usCountry}}The government has also ensured that houses which had existed along the drain for a long time were not damaged during the removal of illegal encroachments, Adityanath said.
{{/usCountry}}"This is not merely the completion of a project. We have also completed the first project to eliminate mosquitoes and mafia from Gorakhpur," he said.
The chief minister said a city free from mosquitoes and mafia could progress rapidly.
He cited improved four-lane road connectivity, the fertiliser plant, AIIMS, BRD Medical College and four universities as examples of Gorakhpur's development.
He further claimed that while young people from Gorakhpur earlier had to leave the city in search of employment, people from outside were now coming there for jobs because of improved security, cleanliness and development.
Youths are also becoming job creators through start-ups in the state, he said.
Referring to the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana and the CM Yuva scheme, he said the government was facilitating interest-free and collateral-free bank loans for young people to start businesses and generate employment. Street vendors were also benefiting from the PM SVANidhi scheme, he added.
The chief minister also accused the previous SP government of allowing land-grabbing attempts in Gorakhpur,cliaming that a family demolished two mansions overnight to prevent their land from being taken over in Gorakhpur during SP's regime.
The chief minister said that before 2017, women faced difficulties in going to schools, traders lacked a secure environment to conduct business and poor infrastructure discouraged investment. He claimed that the situation had changed and that the government had adopted a zero-tolerance policy towards crimes against women and land grabbing.
"Anyone who commits such an offence will have to face either jail or hell," he said.
With Diwali approaching, Adityanath appealed to people to share their celebrations with underprivileged families, visit slum settlements and distribute sweets and gifts among sanitation workers and the poor.
He also appealed to people to light lamps at temples, martyrs' memorials and statues of freedom fighters and other prominent personalities during Diwali, remembering their contributions to the country's freedom and security.
Expressing confidence that the development process would continue, the chief minister extended Diwali greetings to the people of Gorakhpur.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.