Bareilly (UP): Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday said that Bareilly 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, the CM inaugurated and laid the foundation stone 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, he 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’.
Yogi also visited the exhibition on development and schemes organized by the Bareilly Development Authority at the College Ground. During this visit, he also inspected the exhibition of products displayed by young entrepreneurs.
Highlighting Bareilly’s transformation over the past eight years, he said that the district is being connected through the Har Ghar Nal Yojana, the ring road and new flyovers, which are strengthening its connectivity and infrastructure.
The CM said that Bareilly was once known as a dirty city, but today it is redefining itself as a Smart City. Highlighting the shift in law and order, he said that before 2017, the city frequently witnessed 5-7 riots annually, whereas in the past eight years, not a single riot has occurred.
He issued a stern warning to rioters and said that anyone attempting to instigate unrest would have their property seized and redistributed to the poor. Besides, he emphasised that education is the cornerstone of a strong society.
During the launch of ‘School Chalo Abhiyan’, the CM distributed stationery, textbooks, and toffees to the newly enrolled children. He called on the people of Bareilly and UP to join the campaign and ensure that no child is left behind in going to school.
He said, “This is not just the government’s responsibility, but also society’s, If any child is deprived of education, it becomes a challenge for both society and the nation.”
Reflecting on the situation before 2017, Yogi said 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 percent of them did not attend school. Today, under the ‘Operation Kayakalp’ initiative, 96 percent of schools have been equipped with toilets, drinking water, flooring, smart classrooms, and digital libraries,” he said.
He said 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.
The CM highlighted the recruitment of over 1,25,000 teachers under the Basic Education Council and mentioned that 1,500 schools are being renovated under the PM Shri Scheme. He said that Kasturba Gandhi schools are being transformed into centres for the education of poor girls, from classes 8 to 12.
He said, “In Bareilly, the Atal Residential School is about to be inaugurated, which will serve as a center of excellent education for the children of labourers.”
Yogi said that the Basic Education Council has decided to start CM Composite Schools in every district. “In the first phase, these schools will open in 57 districts that do not have Atal Residential Schools. In the first phase, schools will be set up at the district level, in the second phase at the tehsil level, in the third phase at the development block level, and the fourth phase at the Nyaya Panchayat level,” he said.
He said that the goal is to provide education from pre-primary to senior secondary (nursery to 12th grade), all on one campus. “This will include facilities for sports, skill development, and having full-time teachers. Besides, residential arrangements for teachers will also be made. We are moving forward with this programme and campaign to ensure a comprehensive educational experience for children,” he said.
Calling health as important as education, the CM also launched the ‘Special Communicable Disease Control Campaign’ from Bareilly. He recognised the outstanding work of employees in the control of communicable diseases.
He said, “Different regions of UP are sensitive to communicable diseases. Eastern UP has faced challenges like encephalitis, malaria in Bareilly division, dengue in Agra, kala-azar in Varanasi, and chikungunya in Jhansi.”
He said that in the last 8 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,” he said.
Yogi said that in districts like Bareilly, Badaun, and Pilibhit, measures are being taken to prevent malaria and dengue, including eliminating water logging, spraying, and destroying larvae. “ASHA workers and ANMs will go door-to-door to conduct screenings and awareness campaigns,” he said.
He said that before 2017, the response time for 108 ambulances was 17 to 19 minutes, but now it has reduced to 7 minutes. With the new ambulances, the response time will decrease even further.
He also highlighted the progress in the healthcare sector and said that, before 2017, from 1947 to 2017, there were only 12 government medical colleges. “However, in the last 8 years, 44 new government medical colleges have been established. Now, the state has over 80 medical colleges, including more than 36 in the private sector,” he said.
The CM said, “Dialysis, CT scan, and telemedicine facilities are being provided in every district. UP has become the state with the highest number of Ayushman cards issued, providing health insurance of Rs 5 lakh annually to 10 crore people.”
Taking a jibe at the Samajwadi Party (SP), he said 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 SP had a problem,” he said.
Yogi pointed out that those with ties to cow smugglers and butchers would never understand the service of cows. “They only see the smell in cow dung, but they don’t see the foul smell in their actions,” he said.
He also distributed loans to young entrepreneurs under the Mukhyamantri Yuba Udyami Vikas Abhiyan. Besides, he distributed tablets and smartphones to five inspectors and constables from the Bareilly division.
