Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday said that Uttar Pradesh has emerged as a state with ‘unlimited potential’ in the recent years.

Addressing the ninth meeting of the Governing Council of NITI Aayog held at the Cultural Center of Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi, he said: “Seven years ago, the state was classified as a BIMARU state and seen as an obstacle to national development. Today, Uttar Pradesh has shed this BIMARU label and has emerged as a state with ‘unlimited potential.’’

Highlighting Uttar Pradesh’s achievements, he added that Uttar Pradesh, contributing 9.2 percent to the national GDP, has established itself as the growth engine of the country and is now the second-largest economy in India. Over the past seven years, significant progress has been made in doubling the per capita income.

He stated: “Viksit Bharat’ embodies the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision of a self-reliant, prosperous, capable, competent, inclusive, and technologically advanced India. Our mission is to turn this vision into reality. Uttar Pradesh is swiftly advancing towards becoming the ‘growth engine of India.’”

The Chief Minister stated that due to strong law and order, ease of doing business, investment-friendly policies, and good governance, Uttar Pradesh has become the ‘dream destination’ for investment in the country today.

Enumerating the achievements of Uttar Pradesh phase-wise across MSME, women’s safety, infrastructure development, PM Gati Shakti, health, and nutrition, Chief Minister Yogi said, “To contribute to the Prime Minister’s resolve to make the country a 5 trillion dollar economy, a target has been set to make the state’s economy 1 trillion dollars. For this, planned efforts are being made by classifying all the departments into 10 sectors.”

The Chief Minister said that according to the SDG India Index 2023-24 report, Uttar Pradesh has been recognized in the Front Runner category. Additionally, 351 best practices from the state that contribute to the goal of ‘Developed India’ are now uploaded on the ‘NITI for States Portal’ of NITI Aayog.

Chief Minister Yogi invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the Prayagraj Maha Kumbh in January 2025, noting that this holy occasion occurs once every 12 years. He stated, “The state government is committed to ensuring a clean, safe, and well-organized Maha Kumbh-2025. All preparations are nearing completion.”

CM Yogi said that ‘Rule of Law’ is the pre-condition of good governance, pointing out that the state’s commitment to law and order has played a crucial role in achieving good governance.

“Today, Uttar Pradesh boasts of a robust law and order system, which has positively shifted perceptions about the state both nationally and internationally. This improvement is attributed to a zero-tolerance policy towards crime,” he remarked.

He further emphasised that the NCRB data further validates the state’s effective policies, clear intentions, and successful implementation. Uttar Pradesh is recognized as the leading state in the country for ensuring punishment for criminals involved in crimes against women.

“Currently, there are no organized criminals in the state operating freely outside of prison,” the CM added.

He said that Uttar Pradesh Police is the largest civil police force in the country and the world. The state government is consistently modernizing the police force with new technology and equipment.

“Cyber Crime Police Station has been set up in every district to effectively combat cyber crimes. Additionally, a Cyber Help Desk is now operational at every police station”, he stated.

The Chief Minister said that Over 56 lakh poor and homeless families have been given pucca houses. Various programs, including Swachh Bharat Mission, Mission Shakti, School Chalo Abhiyan, Operation Kayakalp, Massive Tree Plantation Public Campaign, and Matribhoomi Yojana, are being implemented based on extensive public participation.

“The Aspirational District Scheme, implemented under the guidance of the Hon’ble Prime Minister, has shown encouraging results. Inspired by this success, the state government has launched the Aspirational Development Block Scheme and the Aspirational Municipal Body Scheme. The youth selected for the ‘Chief Minister Fellowship Program’ are serving as CM Fellows,” he added further.