Bareilly now known for Nath corridor, not ‘jhumkas’: Yogi
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, on Tuesday, highlighted Bareilly’s transformation over the past eight years, saying that the city has evolved beyond its traditional association with ‘jhumkas’ (earrings) to establish a historic identity as Nath Nagri with the Nath Corridor.
During his one-day visit to Bareilly, the chief minister inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for 132 development projects worth Rs 933 crore. He emphasised that Bareilly is emerging as a Smart City on both national and international platforms, fostering an investment-friendly environment in sectors like dairy, healthcare and industry, thereby creating new job opportunities.
On this occasion, Chief Minister Yogi flagged off 2,554 new ambulances equipped with state-of-the-art life-saving facilities. He also launched the statewide ‘School Chalo Abhiyan’ and flagged off the Special Communicable Disease Control Campaign.
He also visited an exhibition on development and schemes organised by the Bareilly Development Authority at the College Ground. During this visit, he also inspected the exhibition of products displayed by young entrepreneurs.
Chief Minister Yogi said that Bareilly was being connected through the Har Ghar Nal Yojana, the Ring Road, and new flyovers, which were strengthening the city’s connectivity and infrastructure.
He also noted that Bareilly was once known as a dirty city, but today it was redefining itself as a Smart City.
Highlighting the shift in law and order, the chief minister stated that before 2017, the city frequently witnessed 5-7 riots annually, whereas in the past eight years, not a single riot has occurred. “Now, there are no riots, only development,” he remarked.
He issued a stern warning to rioters, stating that anyone attempting to instigate unrest would have their property seized and redistributed to the poor. Additionally, he emphasised that education is the cornerstone of a strong society.
During the launch of School Chalo Abhiyan, the chief minister distributed stationery, textbooks and toffees to the newly-enrolled children. He called on the people of Bareilly and Uttar Pradesh to join the campaign and ensure that no child is left behind in going to school.
“This is not just the government’s responsibility, but also of the society,” he said and added: “If any child is deprived of education, it becomes a challenge for both society and the nation.”
Reflecting on the situation before 2017,Chief Minister Yogi shared that the condition of the Basic Education Council was poor, with schools lacking essential facilities like toilets, drinking water, furniture, and smart classrooms. At that time, while 1.34 crore children were enrolled, 60 per cent of them did not attend school. Today, under the Operation Kayakalp, 96 per cent of schools have been equipped with toilets, drinking water, flooring, smart classrooms, and digital libraries. He added that last year, Rs 1,200 per child was sent to the accounts of parents of 1.91 crore children via DBT. “Uniforms, bags, books, shoes, socks, and sweaters are also being provided to the children, which has increased their eagerness to attend school,” he said.
He said Kasturba Gandhi schools were being transformed into centres for the education of poor girls, from class 8 to 12.
Furthermore, he shared that the Basic Education Council has decided to start Chief Minister Composite Schools in every district and in the first phase, these schools will open in 57 districts that do not have Atal Residential Schools.
Calling health as important as education, Chief Minister Yogi also launched the Special Communicable Disease Control Campaign from Bareilly. He recognised the outstanding work of employees in the control of communicable diseases. He mentioned that in the last eight years, the double-engine government has completely controlled encephalitis, which has stopped child deaths in Gorakhpur and surrounding areas. Malaria is also almost under control, but awareness campaigns are ongoing to eliminate it completely.
Taking a jibe at the Samajwadi Party, Chief Minister Yogi remarked that they have abandoned the cows, with their leader claiming that cow dung has an unpleasant smell.”"This shows their true nature. They used to hand over cows to butchers. When we sent the butchers to hell, the Samajwadi Party had a problem,” he said.
Chief Minister Yogi also distributed loans to young entrepreneurs under the Mukhyamantri Yuba Udyami Vikas Abhiyan. Additionally, he distributed tablets and smartphones to five inspectors and constables from the Bareilly division. He inspected the MSME Industrial Township being developed in Bareilly, which will span 113 hectares and provide plots to over 150 entrepreneurs, strengthening trade and industry in the region.
