LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on September 4 launched a scathing attack on the former Samajwadi Party government, alleging that it had encouraged a culture of intimidation where traders and industrialists were compelled to pay “goonda tax” to carry out business. The Chief Minister made the remarks while attending the inauguration and foundation-laying of development projects worth Rs 2,251 crore in the Gorakhpur Industrial Development Authority (GIDA) area. He said that before 2017, attracting investment to Uttar Pradesh was nothing more than a distant dream. Entrepreneurs were crushed under the weight of extortion. Today, no one dares to indulge in such practices, if they try, Yamraj will be waiting for them at the next crossing.”
CM Yogi emphasized that strict law enforcement and a stable atmosphere are now the pillars of Uttar Pradesh’s growth that attract major large-scale investments, job creation, and prosperity.
The bhoomi pujan for Coca-Cola’s upcoming bottling plant and the inauguration of a new unit of Technoplast, a leading name in plastic packaging were among the key projects. According to the CM, the ongoing projects will provide over 15,000 jobs, while industrial plots allotted so far are expected to draw Rs 5,900 crore in investment and generate nearly 10,000 additional employment opportunities.
Projecting GIDA as “eastern UP’s Noida,” he said the industrial base, once confined to Sahjanwa, has now expanded towards Piprauli and Dhuriapar. He also announced that each district would soon have an employment zone named after Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, where youth would be trained in line with their aspirations and skills.
Appealing to rural communities, Yogi encouraged villagers to publicly honour families whose children had secured jobs through recent police recruitment drives, reflecting the government’s emphasis on mass employment generation.
Taking on the opposition, the CM said, “Those who divide people on caste lines, provoke riots, and disrespect women can never deliver growth. Recently, disgraceful remarks were made against the Prime Minister’s mother in Bihar. Such remarks are not limited to Modiji’s mother; they demean every mother in India. A new India will not tolerate such behaviour.”
Supporting Yogi’s stance, BJP MP Ravi Kishan remarked that Prime Minister Modi and Chief Minister Yogi embody saintly values in politics. He alleged that the opposition, unable to match their popularity, has turned to cheap tactics, while the SP government spoke of graveyards, Yogi has built industries and created jobs.
Industrial Development Minister Nand Gopal Gupta ‘Nandi’ credited Yogi’s governance for shaping UP into a “model state,” while local MLA Pradeep Shukla compared GIDA’s development to the rise of Noida.
On the occasion, the Chief Minister also initiated the foundation of a common effluent treatment plant, a CPET skill centre, and other infrastructure projects valued at Rs 281 crore. He distributed allotment letters for residential and industrial plots, further fuelling Gorakhpur’s journey as an emerging industrial hub.
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