Lucknow: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday said that development cannot be based on caste or religion, as a discrimination-free approach reflects the real ‘Ram Rajya’.Launching 229 projects worth Rs 1,052 crore during the inauguration of Siddharthnagar Mahotsav, the CM said, “Development is not possible by dividing society. There should be no discrimination based on caste, religion, region, or language. Progress must be driven by inclusiveness and sustainability. This is real Ram Rajya.” He accused the previous govts of working only for vested interest, leading to a lack of investment in Siddharthnagar and adjoining districts.“People were suffering due to mosquito menace and mafia. The double-engine govt developed colleges, health facilities, and four-lane roads, which ensured jobs, prevented migration, and brought an end to encephalitis,” he said. “Entire eastern Uttar Pradesh was neglected for several years and was identified with disease, crime, and encephalitis. Children dying due to the disease were not from the minority community, SC/ST, or backward communities, but were children of the state, and that was the spirit with which our govt worked to eliminate the disease,” he said.“The development works undertaken in Siddharthnagar are decided based on proposals submitted by local representatives, and the govt acts as a facilitator by providing funds,” Yogi said, highlighting BJP govt’s focus on inclusive governance.Highlighting the transformation of Siddharthanagar, the CM said, “A medical college is operational in the district, in addition to a nursing college. The foundation stone for a women’s hostel was laid, and work began on a 1,000-seat auditorium. Once classified as an aspirational district due to lack of infrastructure, disease, and migration, Siddharthnagar has now entered a new phase of development.”“The previous govts did nothing to preserve the spiritual heritage of this region. Relics of Lord Buddha were taken from Piprahwa over a century ago and were recently found during an auction abroad with the efforts of the local MP and the state govt. The theme song of the Mahotsav, ‘Buddham Sharanam Gacchami’, says that seeking refuge in ‘dharma’ requires wisdom and discernment,” he said. “When power falls into destructive hands, it leads to devastation, but when guided by righteous intent, it becomes a force for positive transformation in people’s lives,” Yogi said. He highlighted improved connectivity in the region, saying that interstate and international road networks were being strengthened. “Siddharthnagar is getting four-lane connectivity, while the Gorakhpur-Shamli Economic Corridor passing through Itwa, Dumariyaganj, and Bansi is poised to emerge as a new engine of growth for the district,” he said. Highlighting positive changes being experienced by farmers in UP, the CM shared his experience from a visit to central UP last May, where farmers were cultivating a third crop of maize after two earlier crops.
