Chief minister Akhilesh Yadav expressed his concern over the pollution in the Yamuna running on the back of Taj Mahal and announced that Valentine Day should identified as ‘Taj Day’. Yadav, accompanied by his wife and Kannauj MP Dimple, visited the Taj on the Valentine Day and inaugurated the lovers bench at the Taj nature park. “Taj is still the most beautiful monument of the world and UP is identified in the world for this seventh century monument,” he said. Addressing a function at the Taj nature park after giving awards to the winners of the ‘Mera Agra Contest’ and inaugurating the ‘Black Taj’ made by world renowned artist Surdarshan Patnaik, on Saturday, the CM said that his government was doing everything to attract the tourists at Agra but expressed his concern on the pollution in Yamuna. “Yamuna river is turning black and is affecting the Taj.
We have to do something soon to clean Yamuna otherwise entire Agra would have to face problem,” he said. The CM on the occasion sat on the lovers bench and gave the photographers opportunity to click them. UP Tourism minister Om Prakash Singh also accompanied the CM. Yadav said that the proposed 302 KM long Agra-lucknow expressway would be completed within next two years time which will enable more tourists to Taj. He said that his government’s policy to distribute laptops to the students have yielded good results and now these youths have been benefited in the studies as well as in their jobs, he said while adding that now wi-fi is another scheme to be mooted by the government.
Yadav said that there is no shortage of funds for the developmental works in the state. “I have instructed the officials to provide budgetary provisions to all the welfare and developmental schemes in the state so that shortage of funds do not come in the way of these projects,” he added. The CM also reviewed the different developmental projects of Agra including the Tajganj projects. He also asked the officials to step up their efforts for early DPR for Agra Metro.The CM also have a close view of the Taj Mahal during the day and chair a meeting of the senior officials of the district, before returning back to lucknow in the evening.