Gorakhpur (UP): Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday said mafia tendency cannot dominate in the state and that it has been uprooted completely.
Addressing a gathering after inaugurating two kalyana mandapams (wedding halls) at Manbela and Rapti Nagar here, Adityanath said that till eight years ago, no one could have imagined that Uttar Pradesh would be riot-free and mafia-free, but today it is a reality.
“Now the mafia tendency cannot dominate in Uttar Pradesh; it has been uprooted completely. Now, goons cannot pose a threat to sisters, daughters, and businessmen here. The common people are not in trouble, and neither do the youths wander for employment,” he said.
“Eight years ago, no one could have imagined a riot-free and mafia-free Uttar Pradesh,” Yogi said. Highlighting achievements since 2017, he referred to the revival of the Gorakhpur fertiliser factory and Pipraich sugar mill, the establishment of AIIMS Gorakhpur, four-lane road connectivity reducing Gorakhpur–Lucknow travel time to three hours, and the creation of local jobs through new industries.
With the inauguration of the two new “Kalyan Mandapams”, Gorakhpur now has five such venues that will ease the financial burden on middle-class families by offering affordable rates ranging from ₹11,000 to ₹25,000 for marriages and other functions.
Yogi further said that nearly 57 lakh people have benefited equally under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana without any discrimination. The Manbela community hall, constructed at a cost of ₹2.65 crore and the Rapti Nagar hall, built at a cost of ₹85 lakh, were developed by the Gorakhpur Development Authority (GDA). Calling them a model initiative, the CM said similar projects are being adopted in cities such as Prayagraj, Varanasi and Meerut.
Yogi also underlined various welfare schemes, including free ration, Ayushman Bharat health cover and Kanya Sumangala Yojana. On the occasion, he also distributed allotment certificates to LIG and EWS beneficiaries under the Rapti Nagar Housing Scheme.
Local MP Ravi Kishan, mayor Dr Manglesh Srivastava, BJP MLC Dr Dharmendra Singh and several MLAs praised the CM’s vision, calling Gorakhpur a “new model of development”.
