Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, on Friday, said that Uttar Pradesh, which previously relied on imported medicines and essential medical products, was fast transitioning from a pharma consumer state to a major producer and exporter of pharmaceutical products.

“To facilitate this transformation, the government is building a Pharma Park spanning 2.000 acres in Lalitpur. Additionally, plans are underway for the development of a Medical Device Park in Uttar Pradesh. This initiative will open up vast opportunities for the youth in the pharmacy sector,” Yogi said.

The chief minister was addressing a gathering at the foundation stone laying ceremony of the pharmacy building to be built at a cost of Rs 24.69 crore at Madan Mohan Malviya University of Technology (MMMUT) and the distribution ceremony of tablets and smartphones to 4,000 students under the Swami Vivekananda Youth Empowerment Scheme in Gorakhpur. The chief minister personally handed tablets and smartphones to 15 students.

Chief Minister Yogi said that barring the reluctance and lack of determination of the then state leadership to develop Uttar Pradesh, the state had all the resources, which it boasts now.

“The state is the same, the people are the same, the machinery is also the same, but when the work culture changes, results become evident. Today, Uttar Pradesh appears as a new and transformed state. It has become a state of progress and investment. There are ample opportunities and possibilities for progress in every sector,” he remarked.

Encouraging the youth to grab each and every opportunity that comes their way, the chief minister emphasised that with faith and perseverance, one can achieve even the seemingly impossible.

The chief minister said that through the Swami Vivekananda Youth Empowerment Scheme, the youth of UP were being provided smartphones and tablets to make them technically competent.

He added that under the scheme, the government will distribute smartphones and tablets to as many as two crore youths in the state.

The smartphones and tablets incorporate vital government initiatives at both the central and state levels, aimed at fostering self-reliance of the youth, the chief minister added.

“By becoming technically competent, the youth will move forward and contribute in realising Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a developed India. Technically skilled youth will play a significant role in building a developed India,” he said, adding that the technically adept youth would play a crucial role in the nation’s development.

Reflecting on the legacy of Madan Mohan Malviya, one of the heroes of the independence movement and founder of Banaras Hindu University, the chief minister noted that MMMUT, named in honour of Malviya, was consistently making strides towards success.

In line with Prime Minister Modi’s vision of self-reliance, the university is building the pharmacy building with its own resources.