In first month, Yogi sets a scorching pace

Issues like meat crackdown, antiRomeo squads, gutkha ban grab headlines

LUCKNOW: Yogi Adityanath, who completes one month as Uttar Pradesh chief minister on Wednesday, has hit the ground running, grabbing headlines with a series of decisions ranging from banning paan and gutkha at government offices to cracking down on illegal slaughterhouses and setting up anti-Romeo squads.

A new chief minister usually begins his stint by overhauling the bureaucracy, but Adityanath did not make changes immediately after assuming office. He retained former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav’s set-up, but warned officers against laxity. He effected his first major administrative reshuffle on April 12, three weeks after taking charge, and shunted 20 senior IAS officers, putting eight of them on the waitlist. He transferred 44 IAS officers on Tuesday.

A list of his decisions and directives:

MINISTERS’ ASSETS: An hour after he took oath on March 19, Adityanath ordered all ministers to declare their income, movable and immovable properties within 15 days. He asked them to submit declarations to the CM secretariat. He also made them take an oath of cleanliness and honesty. He conveyed that his government will have zero tolerance on corruption and law and order. Though the ministers and officers have not all come forward to declare their assets, Aditynath is not relenting and has demanded adherence to the new deadline. CLEANLINESS: Yogi Adityanath administered an oath of cleanliness and honesty to his ministers. He has fixed Friday as the day when the state staff must tidy up workspaces. He asked them to devote two hours per week to cleanliness. He also asked them to read the BJP’s 2017 poll manifesto and begin mulling over how to implement it in their respective departments. Also, he asked them to make budgetary provisions for it.

PAAN BAN: On the second day as CM, Yogi ordered a baan on ‘paan-masala and gutkha’ consumption in government offices, hospitals and schools.

MEAT CRACKDOWN He ordered a crackdown on illegal slaughterhouses, meat shops and smuggling. Some meat shops were burnt and outlets went on strike with supplies drying up. The government has clarified that only illegal abattoirs will be targeted. ANTI-ROMEO SQUAD: The CM also asked for setting up of ‘anti-Romeo squads’ across the state to check harassment of women. When the anti-Romeo action created an outrage with the way police responded, Adityanath on March 25 ordered framing of guidelines and said the police should not be inhuman while implementing it.

POTHOLES: On March 25, Adityanth set a deadline of June 15 for making all UP roads potholes free. METRO: The new CM has also announced Metro train projects for Gorakhpur (his Lok Sabha constituency) and Jhansi. CRACKDOWN ON LAXITY: During a visit in Gorakhpur, Adityanath said those officers who cannot work 18-20 hours were free to leave. He also said that the state will promote regional dialects. The state government staff began sticking to 9am- 6pm duty hours in office following

surprise inspections by various ministers.

FARM LOAN WAIVER: At its first meeting on April 4, the state cabinet waived farm loans up to Rs 1 lakh each of small and marginal farmers. This loan waiver was among the top promises in the BJP manifesto. The decision is projected to cost the state exchequer more than Rs 36,000 crore and benefit approximately 2.15 crore small and marginal farmers across UP. The cabinet, the same day approved the construction of a sports stadium in Ghazipur in eastern Uttar Pradesh. The region has been Adityanath’s area of political influence. He is a five-time MP from Gorakhpur since 1998. WHEAT AND POTATO PROCUREMENT: The government announced to set up 5,000 wheat procurement centres across the state and projected that it will buy 80 lakh metric tonnes from farmers.

It also announced it will buy potato at Rs 487 per quintal from farmers.