Long list of feats, but challenges lie ahead of 2022 polls

A 64-page booklet has been brought out listing achievements of the govt

LUCKNOW : Chief minister Yogi Adityanath completes four years in office this week and he has a long list of achievements, to claim, but his government faces several challenges on various fronts ahead of the 2022 assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh.

A 64-page booklet titled “Chunotiyon main talaashe avsar” (Challenges turned into opportunities) has been brought out listing the achievements of his government in various fields in the “four years of service and good governance.”

Besides referring to the presentation of its first paperless budget (2021-2022) with largest ever size of Rs 5.5 lakh crore for all-round development of UP, the booklet lists efforts to make the state a trillion dollar economy and bring about improvement in law and order situation, among major achievements.

“UP is ahead of other states in the country in implementation of 44 development schemes… this record of development has been achieved when the world is fighting Covid-19. By making arrangements for controlling Covid-19, the state turned this challenge into an opportunity,” it says. Even the WHO has appreciated the state’s Covid management. It claims that the state’s GSDP has gone up in the last four years from Rs 10.9 lakh crore to Rs 21.73 lakh crore, taking the state from the list of ‘Bimaru” states to second largest economy in the country.

It says the per capita income has doubled. It quotes a report of Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) to make a point about the rate of unemployment coming down from 17.5 per cent to 4.1 per cent in the state. It says the state government had adopted zero tolerance towards criminals and Mafiosi, and their illegally accumulated assets worth about Rs 1,000 crore have been demolished or confiscated.

The CM will want that the major development projects are completed in next few months. The state government will, however, have to closely monitor the progress of projects close to his heart before the state goes into poll mode. According to prof SK Dwivedi, former head of department, political science, Lucknow University, “There is no doubt that UP’s performance has been better than other states. The state government is working for all sections. In recent months, the Ram temple construction has begun and led to a positive mood among the people.”

Yashvir Tyagi, former professor, economics department, Lucknow University, said: “The government is making the state an attractive destination for investors. This should push up the growth of economy. In terms of GSDP, UP may have attained the status of the second largest economy in India but its rank in per capita income is second from the bottom. ”