Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday alleged that the previous governments in Uttar Pradesh were too busy fueling caste-based conflicts, which left the youth of the state struggling with an identity crisis.
Launching initiatives to promote entrepreneurship during a ceremony in Lucknow to mark World MSME Day, the CM said the past governments not only encouraged caste-based divisions in society but also ignored entrepreneurs.
Adityanath inaugurated the ‘Youth Adda’ platform, launched the CM Yuva mobile app, and unveiled ODOP Common Facility Centre (CFC) projects worth Rs 18 crore for Bareilly and Moradabad.
Addressing the gathering, he said before 2017, Uttar Pradesh was known for riots, mafia gangs and was one of the most unsafe states for “daughters and traders”.
Despite having come into existence in 1950, Uttar Pradesh never celebrated its Foundation Day until 2018, he said, adding, “The previous governments were too busy dividing society along caste lines and serving their own families instead of working for the state’s development. They ran the state based on family politics, where each district was controlled by a different mafia. As a result of this, people faced an identity crisis.”
“Our government does not discriminate on the basis of caste, region or language. We are committed to providing a platform to every talented youth,” he said.
The CM Yuva mobile app will provide access to training, loans, and information about government schemes without bias, he said. The app, he added, will ensure that no young person needs to run from one government office to another, as everything will be available in one place digitally.
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The Chief Minister said UP now has over 96 lakh MSME units employing more than 2 crore people across communities. “The government has provided a financial safety net of Rs 5 lakh and social security to these units. With a 14% share in the country’s MSME sector, UP is now a leading state in this domain,” he claimed.
“The state’s exports have grown from Rs 80,000 crore in 2017 to over Rs 2 lakh crore today. The per capita income has increased from Rs 46,000 to Rs 1.2 lakh, and the state’s GDP has surged from Rs 12 lakh 75 thousand crore to Rs 31 lakh crore,” the CM added.
He also announced the third edition of the International Trade Show from September 25 to 29 in Greater Noida. The event will serve as a global platform to showcase and promote UP’s MSME products to international buyers.
As many as 77 products from the state have received the GI tag, and work is underway on 75 new applications, he said. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed with the Human Welfare Association to support artisans from all communities in protecting and promoting their products, the CM informed.
