Gorakhpur dons mantle of peace and progress
Chief minister Yogi, who is also a five-time former Gkp MP, has paid much attention to the infrastructure of Gorakhpur, overhauling the ancient city
GORAKHPUR: Once notorious for gang wars and labelled as one of the most backward districts of Uttar Pradesh, Gorakhpur, the hometown of chief minister Yogi Adityanath, is now progressing fast on the path of growth and development with a number of key projects.
Yogi Adityanath, who is also a five-time former Gorakhpur MP, has paid much attention to the infrastructure of Gorakhpur, overhauling the ancient city which is named after Guru Gorakhnath, the incarnation of Lord Shiva who is worshipped by millions in the region.
According to officials, projects worth Rs 30,000 crore are taking shape in the district.
“Glittering malls, shopping complexes, super specialty hospitals, world-class educational institutions, improved road and air connectivity are giving Gorakhpur a modern identity. Before Adityanath’s term, Gorakhpur had previously witnessed development during the tenure of Veer Bahadur Singh as the chief minister. Veer Bahadur Singh hailed from Gorakhpur.Singh set up the Gorakhpur Industrial Development Area (GIDA) for setting up industries, started UPRSTC (Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation) buses to boost connectivity in this region and established the municipal corporation for better town planning among other works. The development work done by him is gaining further momentum now under Maharaj Ji (Yogi Adityanath),” said Dhananjay Shukla, a political analyst.
“Memories of the gang wars between Harishankar Tiwari and Virendra Pratap Shahi in the early 1990s still haunt the old timers. This was one big reason why no industrialist wanted to come to this area, hitting development in Gorakhpur. But now the city is peaceful and progressive,” Shukla added.
Tiwari and Shahi both served as MLAs of different parties.
Indeed, gone are the days when fear ruled the city and development was kept at bay.
Sample this: The beautified 1790-acre Ram Garth Tal (Lake) has been turned into a majestic tourist spot with water sports, motorised boating and a light and sound show. The iconic Gorakhnath temple and the newly opened zoo on the outskirts are among the major crowd-pullers in city. Owing to its beauty, Ram Garh Lake has earned the name “Gorakhpur’s Marine Drive” and is used as a shooting location for Bhojpuri films.
Besides, a Rs 7000-crore fertiliser factory with the capacity of manufacturing 3850 metric tonnes of fertiliser is under construction.
It is expected to be operational soon. The factory, once known as the lifeline of Purvanchal (eastern Uttar Pradesh) for fuelling growth in the agriculture sector, was shut down in the early 1990s following an accident.
The All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS)-Gorakhpur, a Rs 1100 crore project, has also been set up here. Its outpatient department (OPD) has become operational. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who laid the foundation stone of AIIMS in July 2016 along with the fertiliser factory in the run-up to 2017 UP assembly election, is likely to inaugurate the fully functional 750-bed premier health institute in October this year, the chief minister announced during a recent public programme in Gorakhpur.
“Work on AIIMS is underway at a robust pace in two phases,” said Dr Shashank Shekhar, public relations officer (PRO), AIIMS-Gorakhpur.
Apart from two universities — Deen Dayal Upadhyay (DDU) Gorakhpur University and Madan Mohan Malaviya Technical University (MMTU) — Guru Gorakhnath Vishvavidhyalay has also come up here.
President Ram Nath Kovind laid the foundation of the state’s first Ayush University in Gorakhpur on August 28.
Over 500 big and small industries have been set up with an investment of Rs 1000 crore in GIDA. These units manufacture a wide range of items , everything from sanitary pads to cement, iron rods and medicines.
The plan was drawn as part of the UP Investors’ Summit 2018, fuelling growth and development in the region and stopping migration of locals in search of jobs, a GIDA official said.
As for frequent traffic jams in the city, Gorakhpur Development Authority (GDA) vicechairman Ashish Kumar said, “For the problem of (traffic) jams, rings roads are proposed all around the city. In addition, a vision plan for development of the city is being worked out by the Gorakhpur Development Authority (GDA), keeping in mind the requirement in the next 25-30 years.”
Besides, the Rs 5876 crore Gorakhpur-Azamgarh Link Expressway project is also gaining momentum.