By Prerna Mukherjee
Six months after reigning Uttar Pradesh, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath released a white paper on Monday documenting the functioning of his government so far. Rather than it being a dossier of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) governments achievements, it read as a negative critique of the previous Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party governments. The paper listed acts of misgovernance and corruption over the last 14 years, from 2003-2017.
Incapable authorities jeopardised development
In the presence of his cabinet colleagues, the CM started the white paper with allegations of caste and communal crimes. The crimes were at its peak when BJP came to power while the organized crime was ruling the roost. He further mentions that mismanagement during the previous regimes had emptied the states coffers while corruption thrived and development came to a still. The 24-page document refers to law and order, farmers plight, the sale of sugar mills, PWD, National Rural Health Mission, irregularities in both UPSC and police recruitment, education, tourism, and culture. Housing and urban planning, women welfare and child development, industrial development, and minority welfare and development projects were also included.
Yogi attacks where it hurts the most
The document further castigates corruptors in the public sector enterprises. Corruption led to the closure of most of the enterprises, therefore paralyzing the development of the state. Illegal grabbing of government land by mafias, slow growth in industrialization and anti-farmers attitude of the government created problems for the people. The CM said that the previous governments failed to make a coordination with the Central government. Failure to do so led to adverse impacts on the growth of the state. The white paper also claimed that the previous state governments ignored the developments of Purvanchal and Bundelkhand regions. It also accuses former governments of inaugurating incomplete development projects like Metro Rail, Agra-Lucknow Expressway, Jai Prakash Narayan International Center, Gomti Riverfront, International Cricket Stadium, Cancer Institute and SGPGI Trauma Centre.
White paper to apprise the public
Patronage was extended to anti-social elements, Gundagardi, and corruption. The white paper states that BJP led government assumed power on March 19, 2017, and inherited an environment of anarchy, crime and corruption. Justifying his allegations, Yogi said that people have a right to know what work the previous governments did so the white paper serves that purpose. This is an example of accountability towards the people. The government is expected to present details of the developments made so far. Yogis government is sticking to his partys Sankalp Patra agenda of sabka saath sabka vikas for an overall development of Uttar Pradesh.
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