Announcing a slew of gifts to the people, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday kick-started a colourful extravaganza to mark the UP Diwas, saying the day will be celebrated as a mark of respect for the resilience of the people of the state, their sense of teamwork and their ability to perform in adverse circumstances.
He also described UP Diwas as a day of pride for every citizen of the state.
"On this day, the government will start a project to felicitate 3-5 citizens with UP Gaurav Samman every year for bringing laurels to the state," he said.
Addressing a gathering at Hunar Haat, organised to showcase the talent of local artisans at Awadh Shilpgram here, the chief minister said that the steely resolve shown by all the citizens during the COVID-19 pandemic had helped in fighting the dreaded disease unitedly.
"It came as no surprise that Uttar Pradesh received accolades from foreign countries and the WHO (World Health Organisation) for the commendable work done in COVID-19 management. It was all due to the magnificent teamwork and steely resolve of everyone involved in this," he said.
Spelling out the Mission Rojgar of his government, the chief minister said that while four lakh youth had got government jobs during the last three-and-a-half years, another 15 lakh were facilitated in getting private jobs while 1.5 crore youth were linked to employment opportunities through various schemes.
On this occasion, the chief minister also announced free coaching facilities for UPPSC and NDA for students so that they do not leave their homes.
"The government will open Abhyuday coaching centres at 18 divisional headquarters of the state, both physically and virtually. The officers, academicians, experts and teachers of various subjects will impart their knowledge to the aspirants through this mechanism," he said.
"We have seen that this year, the Social Welfare department has identified over 1.43 lakh youth who have excelled in various fields and has given them scholarships. From this year, we will be identifying three to five people who have given a new identity to the state in the country as well as globally and we will be honoring them with the UP Gaurav Samman, the chief minister said.
Narrating the history of UP Diwas, Chief Minister Yogi said that it was never celebrated in the state despite the fact that on 24 January, 1950, a notification was issued in this regard.
He said it was "unfortunate" that no previous government ever thought of glorifying the past of the state by celebrating the day but it was started ever since the Bharatiya Janata Party came to power.
"We ensured that it (UP Diwas) was celebrated every year from January 24 to 26. We also launched the ODOP scheme which is now continuously working to give a local and a global stage to our artisans and craftsmen and their skills," he added.
"The ODOP (One District, One Product) also got a platform in the Investors' Summit where our Prime Minister Narendra Modi also appreciated our initiative and said that the scheme is a contribution towards Atmanirbhar Bharat," he said.
"Every district of the state has a unique identity and I think it should also be given a local platform like UP Diwas," the chief minister said.