Gorakhpur: Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday referred to the recent West Bengal assemblyelection results, saying that political parties that ignore public welfare, promote corruption and patronise criminal elements are bound to face rejection from voters.Addressing a public gathering after inaugurating and laying the foundation stones of 71 development projects worth Rs612.32 crore in Gorakhpur, the CM said the people of West Bengal had delivered a “strongmessage” against alleged misgovernance and asserted that the state would now move towards becoming “Sonar Bangla” under the guidance of PM Modi.The projects included the inauguration of a newly constructed convention centre, Kalyan Mandapam, built at a cost of over Rs5 crore in Jungle Beni Madhav area.Highlighting the transformation of Gorakhpur after 2017, Yogi said development accelerates when governance is driven by “clear intent, transparent policies and firm resolve”. He said the city, once associatedwith poor infrastructure and law-and-order concerns, was now identified with security, cleanliness, prosperity and improved road connectivity.The CM also attacked previous govts, alleging that the closed fertiliser plant in Gorakhpur had become a “symbol of corruption” during the regimes of Congress and Samajwadi Party. He said the plant is now functioning successfully and several long-pending infrastructure projects, including four-lane roads and overbridges, have been completed.Yogi said the journey between Gorakhpur and Lucknow, which earlier took eight to nine hours, has now been reduced to nearly three-and-a-half hours. Travel time to Varanasi has also come down significantly, he added. He further said the upcoming Jungle Kaudia-Jagdishpur four-lane bypass would improve access towards Kushinagar and boost regional expansion.The CM said rapid infrastructure growth would strengthen economic prosperity, generate employment opportunities and encourage investment in eastern UP. He also highlighted the role of AIIMS, BRD MedicalCollege and the proposed Ayush University in improving healthcare and educational facilities in the region.On the occasion, BJP MP Ravi Kishan said the BJP govt was committed to inclusive development and welfare schemes without discrimination. Gorakhpur mayor Manglesh Srivastava welcomed the CM and praised the state govt’s focus on development and public welfare.
