Hindustan Times (East UP)

Explore alternativ­e for students amid pandemic: Yogi in Kashi

CM also meets floodaffec­ted people in Gorakhpur, distribute­s relief material

- HT Correspond­ents letters@hindustant­imes.com

VARANASI/GORAKHPUR: Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday appealed to Kashi’s scholars to find an alternativ­e to impart education to a large number of students, who lack gadgets like tablets and computers, if the Covid-19 pandemic stretches for long.

He also met flood-affected people at Sadar tehsil, Belwar and Kauriram in Gorakhpur where he also distribute­d relief material. He assured the flood victims that his government stood firmly with them, and it would offer full support to them. Yogi Adityanath made the appeal about education while addressing a convention of prominent people in Varanasi. The meet was organised by the BJP here. He honoured the prominent people, including professors, doctors, engineers and scholars. “I visit flood-affected areas daily.

7.5 lakh diyas to illuminate Ayodhya this year

Chief minister Yogi Adityanath said 7.5 lakh diyas (earthen lamps) have already been made for Deepotsav in Ayodhya this year. During the first Deepotav, it was tough to find even 51,000 earthen diyas, he said.

VARANASI/GORAKHPUR: Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday appealed to Kashi’s scholars to find an alternativ­e to impart education to a large number of students, who lack gadgets like tablets and computers, if the Covid-19 pandemic stretches for long.

He also met flood-affected people at Sadar tehsil, Belwar and Kauriram in Gorakhpur where he also distribute­d relief material. He assured the flood victims that his government stood firmly with them, and it would offer full support to them.

Yogi Adityanath made the appeal about education while addressing a convention of prominent people in Varanasi. The meet was organised by the BJP here. He honoured the prominent people, including professors, doctors, engineers and scholars.

“I visit flood-affected areas daily. During my visit to a floodaffec­ted area, I met a student and asked him in which class he studied. The student informed that he attended school up to fourth standard and stopped going to school as the school was closed (due to Covid-19). He doesn’t go to school anymore,” Yogi Adityanath said, hours after reaching out to the flood-hit.

“We can impart education to the children belonging to welloff families equipped with digital devices. But a large number of children belong to the financiall­y weaker section. These children lack mobile phones, tabs or laptops. For these children, I want to appeal all the teachers to find an alternativ­e to provide education to children, if the pandemic lasts long. Think, if the gurushishy­a parampara may be an alternativ­e or teachers may visit students’ villages and teach them,” he said.

Stating that schools cannot be closed for long time, he said despite that there must be preparedne­ss to deal with any situation.

Earlier in the day in Gorakhpur, the CM said to reporters on the second day of his two-day visit, “The water level has increased, but timely work on repair of embankment, along with swift relief work, has checked losses.”

He reiterated that a special sanitation drive till September 12 was being carried out to check the spread of diseases after floods. He also felicitate­d some sanitary workers.

The chief minister held Janata Darshan at the Gorakhnath temple where he listened to the problems of people and directed the officials concerned to address their issues.

Later in the day, he made the point at the Varanasi convention that while the previous government ignored the developmen­t of Kashi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government at Centre had ensured the city’s allround developmen­t.

He also said, “Remember, there was a leadership which, soon after independen­ce opposed, the starting of work on Somnath Temple, while the present leadership came forward and ended five-century long wait for constructi­on of Ram temple in Ayodhya to add to its glory. Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself visited Ayodhya to lay the foundation stone.”

Yogi said that Mahatma Gandhi visited Kashi Vishwanath temple in 1916 and was very sad after seeing filth and dirt in the lanes and around the shops. Several people came to power several times using the name of Gandhi, but it is Prime Minister Narendra Modi who gave the vision to build Kashi Vishwanath Temple as per wish of Gandhi Ji, he said, adding that a grand Kashi Vishwanath temple is coming.

He also said that before 2017, people used to say that there is goonda raj and corruption in UP and no one can free it from these problems.

But his government has changed the perception about UP, the chief minister said.

Now people in other states believe that UP’s law and order is the best in the country.

Without mentioning any opposition leader who visited the temples in recent past, Yogi said, “The people who used to avoid visiting the temples in Kashi, Mathura and Ayodhya, now they are competing to visit the temples.”

Yogi said that after independen­ce in 1947, UP’s per capita income was equivalent to nation per capita income. But by 2016, it decreased to one third. Several steps have been taken and in days to come, the per capita income of UP will increase, he said.

 ?? SOURCED ?? CM Yogi Adiyanath honoring prominent people during Prabuddh Sammelan in Kashi on Sunday.
SOURCED CM Yogi Adiyanath honoring prominent people during Prabuddh Sammelan in Kashi on Sunday.

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