Amid threat of coronavirus spread in Uttar Pradesh, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that his government was keeping an eye on the ongoing sit-in by anti-CAA protesters and would take whatever steps were required at the appropriate time.
“We have already given powers to the Health department under provisions of Epidemic Diseases Act and it is our commitment to protect the lives of 23 crore population (of the state) at any cost. If people stay in their houses, it would be easier to control the virus at the second stage,” Yogi Adityanath said during an interaction with some journalists.
The chief minister admitted that coronavirus would have an impact on the national and state economies but said that UP was doing its homework well to meet the challenge.
“We are going to pay money to daily wagers who will lose employment due to the virus spread. The government has set up a three-member committee headed by Finance Minister Suresh Kumar Khanna to recommend money to be given to registered daily wagers and the committee has already submitted its report,” the chief minister said.
Yogi ruled out any shortage of foodgrains or other essential commodities and said that everything was being monitored.
“There is no shortage of sanitisers, masks or medicines,” he said.
When asked about opposition parties, who termed the three years of his rule as a big failure, Yogi said that they (opposition) had exhausted all weapons in the last three years and now they were going to palm readers and fortune tellers.
“In the last three years, the opposition did everything to derail our work but we focused on it. Now the opposition has become frustrated and are issuing contradictory statements showing their mindset,” he said.
The chief minister said that in 2022, the Bharatiya Janata Party would go to the people in a positive way, highlighting the achievements of the government and how it had changed people’s perception about the state.
“I have conveyed to the ministers and the BJP leaders that they should go to the people and make them aware of our achievements so that the anti-government tirade of the opposition could be countered,” he said.
Yogi said that he would be participating in a function wherein Ram Lalla would be shifted to an alternative home in Ayodhya on March 24, after which the construction of a grand temple would commence.
“The programme will be a brief one and will be telecast live,” he said.
To a poser if the government would bring any legislation to control population, Yogi said that the government was carrying out awareness programmes to educating families about two children norms.
“Presently there is no such policy decision on this matter,” the chief minister said.