Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel addressed the joint sitting of both the Houses of the state legislature and the first session of 2025 on Tuesday. She made a special mention of the ongoing grand Mahakumbh in Prayagraj, describing the event as one that embodies the spirit of “Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat” (One India, Great India).

Governor Anandiben Patel said, “The UP government has had the honour of organising the Mahakumbh 2025. This year’s event has set new benchmarks in cleanliness, security, and management. Mahakumbh 2025 is a unique blend of faith and modernity, showcasing both tradition and progress.”

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She further highlighted that Mahakumbh 2025 represents unity in diversity and promotes equality and harmony, reinforcing the vision of ‘Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat’. So far, over 50 crore devotees have taken a holy dip in the sacred Triveni Sangam.

Expressing sorrow over the unfortunate incident on Mauni Amavasya, the Governor said, “We are deeply saddened by this tragedy.” She extended her condolences to the families of those who lost their lives and wished a speedy recovery for the injured.

The Governor also mentioned the historic cabinet meeting held on 22 January 2025 at the sacred Triveni Sangam during the ongoing Mahakumbh. She highlighted that several key decisions were taken in the interest of the state during this significant occasion.

Governor Anandiben Patel, in her address, emphasised the importance of law and order and called security essential for a civilised society. She highlighted the government’s commitment to maintaining peace and stability, asserting, “Under my government, there have been no incidents of communal riots or caste-based conflicts.”

The Governor noted that Uttar Pradesh has successfully ensured the peaceful and orderly conduct of major festivals, fairs, processions, religious events, and elections. She credited the administration’s efforts for creating a secure environment, ensuring harmony, and upholding public safety.

The Governor said, “Before 2017, law and order in the state had collapsed, and people had lost trust in the administration. However, under the Yogi government, the police’s modernisation and reforms have transformed Uttar Pradesh into a model of effective law enforcement.”

She highlighted that the government adopted a ‘zero-tolerance policy towards crime and criminals’ and consistently improved policing standards. These efforts have created a crime and fear-free environment as the government continues to work towards realising the vision of ‘Ram Rajya’ — a state of justice, peace, and good governance, she stated.

The Governor highlighted the achievements of ‘Operation Conviction’ (programme initiated to expedite the rate of conviction across UP) stating that from July 2023 to December 2024, the initiative led to 51 criminals being sentenced to death, 6,287 to life imprisonment, 1,091 to over 20 years in prison, 3,868 to 10-19 years, 5,788 to 5-9 years, and 51,748 to less than five years in jail.

She further said since November 2019, effective prosecution of notorious mafia and gang members resulted in 31 mafia leaders and 74 co-criminals receiving life imprisonment, jail sentences, and fines, with two criminals sentenced to death.

“Additionally, the government seized and demolished benami properties worth over Rs 4,074 crore and freed and vested movable and immovable properties valued at over Rs 141 billion from illegal occupations,” she added.

She also mentioned the success of ‘Operation Trinetra, under which more than 11 lakh CCTV cameras have been installed in police stations. “Additionally, the response time of UP-112 emergency services has seen a remarkable improvement, reducing from 25 minutes 42 seconds in 2017 to just 7 minutes 24 seconds in 2024,”, she pointed out

The Governor also noted that before 2017, Uttar Pradesh had only two cyber crime police stations, but now such stations are present in all 75 districts. Furthermore, since 2017, 21,655 FIRs have been registered in response to complaints received on Twitter.

The Governor highlighted the success of the Special Task Force (STF) in preventing 653 heinous crimes. She also noted that since 2017, the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has arrested 130 terrorists and 171 Rohingya/Bangladeshi nationals and their accomplices.

The Governor also emphasised the Yogi government’s efforts to bolster police manpower, revealing that since 2017, over 156,000 personnel have been recruited and more than 149,000 promoted by the Uttar Pradesh Police Recruitment and Promotion Board. Additionally, recruitment is ongoing for 92,919 non-gazetted positions.

Governor Patel, in her address, highlighted the state’s progress in connectivity, calling Uttar Pradesh the ‘Expressway State’ of India.

She noted the operational Yamuna, Agra-Lucknow, Purvanchal, and Bundelkhand Expressways, along with the under-construction Ganga and Gorakhpur Link Expressways.

Uttar Pradesh now boasts the highest share of the nation’s expressway network, she stated.

The Governor shared details of ongoing projects, including the Chitrakoot Link Expressway, the connector linking Agra-Lucknow and Purvanchal Expressways, the Bundelkhand-Agra-Lucknow link via Farrukhabad, the Ganga Expressway, and the Jewar Airport Link Expressway.