After a weeklong slugfest, uncle Shivpal Yadav and nephew Chief Minister Akhilesh in a show of bonhomie shared the dais at the inauguration of Avadh Shilpgram Haat in lucknow on Saturday.
Both Akhilesh and Shivpal praised each other and highlighted achievements of the SP government claimingtaht the present regime had surpassed the performance of any previous regime in the state. TheCM’s wife and MP fromKannauj Dimple Yadav was also present on the occasion.
Chief minister Akhilesh Yadav chose to blame the media for creating the image of rift within the SP first family, particularly between him and his uncle.
The Shilpgram project is aimed at promoting handicrafts / traditional craft industry and providing facilities to craftsman under one roof. Spread in an area of 20 acre on Shaheed Path, the Haat has 209 shops with facilities for craftsman and entrepreneurs and was built at a cost of Rs 500 crore.
``I am at my wits end to understand why the media is so interested in creating rift within my family. My friends in media have contributed a lot in creating the rift between me and my uncle. When they come to me, then they praise me and criticise others and they do the same when they meet my uncle,’’ said the CM.
Addressing the gathering, Shivpal Yadav lauded the CM for the Shilpgram project. ``I congratulate the CM for initiating a unique project for the welfare and benefit of millions of craftsman in the state. This will not only conserve traditonal crafts but will also provide raw material, marketing assistance and other facilities creating new avenues of employment.’’
The PWD minister said, ``Had the previous governments cared about promoting the most neglected sector of the economy, the social and economic scenario of the state would have been different. Due to efforts like this, the per capita income in UP has now risen to Rs 40,000.’’
In his speech, the CM said, “In the last four years, the state government has performed in all sectors of the economy and benefited all sections of the society. The government has taken special care for protecting the interests of craftsmen, weavers and sculptors.’’
Exuding confidence that the SP will be voted back to power in the 2017 polls, the CM said, “If we are given the opportunity then the government will do more for the handicraft sector and people involved in small businesses. Kisan bazaars are being set up in NOIDA and Ghaziabad and such markets will be constructed in each district headquarter.’’
listing development works initiated by the state government, he said, “Metro rail is proposed in four cities and the execution of the has been the quickest in lucknow. Nowhere in the country has the Metro project executed with such speed.’’
The CM said that the state government has made available free land for construction of All India Institute of Medical Sciences at Gorakhpur and the government has so far distributed 18 lakh free laptops to the students.