Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday said that the current government came to power with the resolve not to allow criminalisation of politics in the country and would ensure that those playing with the future of the youth paid a heavy price for it.

Addressing a public meeting after the Bhoomi Pujan ceremony of Maa Pateshwari Devi State University in Koilra, CM Yogi stated that the image of Balrampur, the capital of Lord Shri Ram’s son Luv as well as the sacred land of Lord Buddha and brave Maharaja Suheldev, was tarnished by a few mafias and criminals in the past. He recalled that Balrampur is endowed with a rich heritage and blessed by Maa Pateshwari.

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The CM laid the foundation stone and inaugurated 466 development projects worth Rs 488.89 crore in Balrampur and 31 development projects worth Rs 260.37 crore in Shravasti.

He remarked: “No one would have imagined that there would ever be medical colleges, universities and airports in Devi Patan division. Today, a hospital with 350 beds has been inaugurated here. We are also going to provide a medical college to Balrampur district by next year. Shravasti has got an airport. The dream of having a university in Balrampur is also being realised.”

He added: “There are three medical colleges in four districts of this commissionerate of which two have already been built while the third is being inaugurated today. Besides, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also inaugurated the Saryu Nagar National Project which was pending for four decades.”

In his address, the Chief Minister said that efforts are being made to transform aspirational districts into developed ones under the guidance of the Prime Minister. He stated that Balrampur and Shravasti are blessed by Maa Pateshwari as devotees from India and Nepal visit the place in large numbers every year.

The Chief Minister remarked: “The Ram Janmabhoomi movement in 1949 started from this land of Balrampur and today the whole world witnessed the glorious moment of Lord Ram’s presence on the sacred land of Ayodhya. Every resolution made here is always fulfilled.”

Speaking of Balrampur’s significance since time immemorial, he pointed out that this land has witnessed the spiritual journey of Nana ji Deshmukh while Atalji also began his political journey from here.

The Chief Minister further remarked that the roads in Devi Patan division were earlier so poor that it used to take 4 hours to reach Devi Patan Temple from Gonda but now this distance can be covered in just 45 minutes. He mentioned that when the government’s intentions are clear, development gains momentum and facilities provided by the government reach the poor without discrimination.

Recalling the 2017 floods, the Chief Minister said that the district headquarters of both Shravasti and Balrampur were inundated at that time, pointing out that the government has found a permanent solution to the flood problem. “The river was dredged, and as a result, since 2017, floodwaters have never reached the district headquarters here,” he said.

The Chief Minister said that he has come with Holi gifts for people, which will benefit them for generations to come. He informed that along with traditional courses, employment-oriented programmes will also run in the university here. Programmes will be conducted to make children technologically capable. Development will not be limited to Delhi alone, but it will reach every village, he added.

“Our urban bodies will become self-reliant. All of this will happen through the power of your vote. It is the power of the vote that ensures the safety of daughters and traders, the establishment of new industries, respect for faith, and the homecoming of Lord Ram in Ayodhya. In the past, dacoity prevailed over the rights of the poor, daughters and traders were not safe, and mafias sabotaged development plans. There were scandals in the name of faith, and mentioning Lord Ram’s name would lead to violence,” Yogi added.

The CM stressed the need to develop Uttar Pradesh to realise the goal of ‘Viksit Bharat’. He said that a developed UP would mean having good educational and healthcare facilities with plenty of employment opportunities, industries, prosperous farmers, and where daughters and traders were safe. “If we want to make UP developed, then Balrampur and Shravasti too need to be developed,” he added.