Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday said the Samajwadi Party opposed the bridge at Kamhariya Ghat in Dakshinanchal of Gorakhpur because they believe in dividing people. “We believe in uniting people and that is why we are gifting the bridge of Kamhariya Ghat to the people today,” Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Thursday.

While dedicating the Kamhariya Ghat bridge built on Saryu river in Gorakhpur to the people, Yogi Adityanath slammed the SP for “brutally suppressing the voices of the people and not resolving their issues”.

“Today, this bridge built at a cost of Rs 193.97 crore shows how accountable our government is towards our people. The bridge will connect nearby villages and areas and will reduce the long distances that people were forced to cover,” he said.

“The government has prioritised the development of the regions that remained neglected for decades. Just as this much-required bridge will improve connectivity in areas like Sikariganj-Belghat-Lohraiya-Shankarpur-Baghdad and will ease the lives of the people residing there, every citizen must work to develop our villages by taking pride in our roots as per the ‘Panch Pran’ (five pledged) given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi”, he said.

Calling upon the people of Uttar Pradesh to work in accordance with the ‘Panch Pran’ -- the five commitments for the next 25 years given by Prime Minister Modi on completion of 75 years of independence, the chief minister emphasised the need for developing small villages and far-flung areas to turn the country into a superpower.

Extending his greetings to the people ahead of Janmashtami, the chief minister said, “Our government, unlike previous ones, knows how to fulfil the requirements of the people and also celebrate the happiness of the people by being among them.”

Urging the farmers to adopt organic and natural farming methods, the chief minister said that organic farming would lead the farmers on the path of self-reliance. “Our farms have the capacity to produce four times more food grains than what is being produced now. If we adopt the right technology, the production capacity will increase four times of what we are producing now. In the same one acre land where you produce 10-15 quintals of paddy, it will produce no less than 40-45 quintals of paddy,” he said.

Yogi added that organic farming would not only improve the produce but also reduce the cost of using fertilisers, pesticides and chemicals to zero.

The chief minister said the state government was making dedicated phase-wise efforts to foster economic growth of the Gorakhpur region. “After Purvanchal Expressway, the link expressway will aid in developing industrial clusters to ensure that the youth here not only get employment opportunities but also give employment to others,” he said.

Criticising the opposition, the chief minister said that while the Bharatiya Janata Party served the nation selflessly when COVID-19 pandemic was at its peak, the leaders of other political parties were saving themselves from the dreaded virus and had left the public to their fate, “We worked to save people amid the pandemic by providing free testing, free vaccines and free ration,” he said.

He also urged all eligible citizens to take the ‘precaution dose’ and strengthen the country’s fight against the COVID-19.

Listing the development works done in Gorakhpur and stating that the region was witnessing growth in all sectors and moving towards prosperity, Yogi said that the AIIMS, Ram Garh Taal, Gorakhpur zoo, Gorakhpur fertiliser factory were transforming the region that had remained neglected for decades.

Stating that ‘smart’ villages and ‘smart’ districts were essential for a ‘smart’ Uttar Pradesh, Yogi said that Amrit Sarovars, gram sachivalayas, fibre optic cables and banking facilities through BC Sakhi scheme would develop villages and make them self-reliant and this in turn would ensure the state’s overall development.