People outside Uttar Pradesh might not be aware of the remarkable developments that have been done in the last 4-5 years under the current government, but people of the state have already started feeling the difference in the state and ultimately their lives. There have been substantial developments in the overall infrastructure of the state, leading to a spirit of positivity and enthusiasm among the youngsters.
With the dramatic shift in the mindset of people, while choosing their leaders, citizens of the state are no longer interested in the fake godly idealism of living people. It was justified on the citizen's front, to get furious, when astonishing amounts of public money were being spent to build parks and memorials aimed to glorify a particular person or a clan. As the younger generation is now getting more awareness about the ecological balance, and the harmful effects of Global warming, they prefer trees over statues.
While the above points summarize the optimism about the current state of Uttar Pradesh, let us dig out the details and bifurcate the development work done in different streams:
Encouragement for Business Investment
Due to the continual efforts of the government, the business sentiments of the Industrialists and large multi-national companies have been changing towards Uttar Pradesh. Various companies like Amul, Mother Dairy, HCL have invested in setting up and expand their businesses in Uttar Pradesh. This has led to not only an increase in the revenue for the state but also provide employment to a lot of people. Amul’s estimated investment is Rs.600 crores while HCL IT-city inaugurated in the month of April 2016, will create numerous job opportunities for the skilled and the unskilled workforce. Uttar Pradesh has turned to be the largest milk producer in India due to its projects like Kamdhenu. It also has the largest share (15%) of Public Private Partnership projects in India.
Digital Development and Skill training
The government has taken a lot of steps to digitize the public departments with the launch of several mobile applications. Apps like ‘M-Sehat’ and Shakti 1090 have been really useful to update records in real time. Also, the existing portals of police and other government departments are modernized, giving people a better awareness of the current issues and a faster turn-around time for the redressal of their grievances.
A dedicated skill training programme has been designed to impart people, between the age group of 15 to 45, the required skills for better employability. Till now, more than 1 lakh people have been enrolled under this scheme and also got the desired employment.
Infrastructure Development
The on-going work for the first phase of Metro at Lucknow is in full fledge, the later phases would also cover the cities of Varanasi, Kanpur, and Agra. The 300 km long, 6 lanes wide Agra-Lucknow expressway, which is expected to be completed by the end of 2016, would further add up to the hassle-free commuting between the prime locations increasing the comfort and business in reduced times.
Better health-care facilities
The government has been successful to implement a variety of measures which has enabled better medical facilities to a larger section of society. Poor patients suffering from serious ailments related to Kidney, Liver, Heart, and cancer are now being provided free treatments. The range of free medical services now also include medicines, X-Ray, and Pathology to the people belonging to the Below Poverty Line.
Also, the recent collaboration between the government and the Bill Melinda Gates Foundation is bound to reduce the infant mortality rate and better the health of nursing women.
Boost to Agriculture and Assistance to Farmers
The government has laid a huge emphasis on the agricultural sector and the farmers, which still remain the building blocks of our economy. Several Agricultural Marketing hubs have been established which has ensured a better pricing for the agricultural production directly to the farmers. Initiatives like 1000 one-stop shops for Agricultural products, Rs.600 crore allotted to the farmers accident insurance and Rs.778 crore under the National Agriculture Development scheme has boosted up the agricultural sector.
Also, during the constant news of farmer suicides over loans spurring throughout the country, the Uttar Pradesh government has provided free irrigational services and waved off Rs.700 crore of loans to the distressed farmers (subject to a maximum of 50,000). Till now, 7,86,000 farmers have been provided the much-needed relief from their debts.
Social Development and Pension Schemes
The government has come up with a scheme, where people who do not have any source of income, are being given Rs.500 per month for their survival. Also, for the benefit of labour class, a lot of measures have been taken like highly subsidised meals at the government construction sites and pensions after their age of retirement for the registered workers.
Safety and Upliftment of Women
To curb the menace of domestic crimes against women, the government had started a dedicated power-line 1090 to address the complaints from women regarding violence and immediate medical attention. It has received a tremendous response and provided instant assistance and solution to more than 3.88 lakhs cases till date. Recently, Manzil Saini was appointed as the SSP of Lucknow, the first woman in the state to bag such a respected and responsible position. Also, Unnao district in Uttar Pradesh has been the first administration in the country where all the top designations are being chaired by women officials.
Motivation and facilities for Education
Being an Engineer by qualification, Akhilesh Yadav has been known to support and promote the cause of education among the masses. It may range from giving laptops to students or rewarding girls who pass their schooling an amount of Rs.30,000 for their higher education. There has been heavy recruitment for teachers in the past 4 years at all the levels of education, it ranges from primary schooling to the most professional and updated courses. Better education leads to better employment opportunities and a more civilized society, and the impact has already started to reflect.
Promotion of Tourism and Film-Industry
The current government has been really prominent in considering tourism as a vital and distinct industry. This has not only improved the image of the state but created a lot of employment opportunities as well. Due to dedicated efforts to promote the film industry, Uttar Pradesh also received a special mention for being the Film friendly state during the 63rd National Film Awards. The upcoming film city projects in the state will provide even more boost to the artists and take the industry to the next level.
Eco-Friendly Steps
The government has proved it’s stand for nature conservation by developing green belts and cycling tracks which have reduced traffic congestion and pollution levels. It has promoted and installed various solar power plants in the remotest of villages to ensure electricity supply in the cleanest way possible. Uttar Pradesh, under the regime of current government, has made it’s entry in the Guinness Book of World Records for the largest tree plantation drive in a single day.
Also, a very noble and unique initiative called as The World Sparrow Day was celebrated on 20th March 2016. This initiative aims to revive the declining population of sparrows across the state and maintain the ecological balance.
The above fact-based points certainly illustrate the substantial amount of development work that has been done by the current government of Uttar Pradesh under the regime of Akhilesh Yadav. All of us know what the condition of Uttar Pradesh was 5 years back and the long distance it has travelled so far. While it would be unrealistic to say that Uttar Pradesh has achieved everything to be termed as a developed state, these positive steps if continues in the future, and the current government continues its agenda of development, then we would see an exemplary case study of transformation.