‘UP no longer Bimaru state’: CM Yogi says mafia crushed, encephalitis eradicated; Akhilesh flags gaps

NEW DELHI: Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday said the state had shed its image as a “Bimaru” state and now commanded a “respectable image”, citing improvements in healthcare, connectivity, education and law and order.His remarks in Deoria came as Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav separately attacked the BJP government over the condition of the state's healthcare system, alleging shortages of doctors and paramedical staff.CM Yogi targets previous governmentsAddressing a programme in Deoria, where he inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for 80 development projects worth Rs 305 crore, Yogi accused previous Samajwadi Party and Congress governments of remaining indifferent to encephalitis deaths.“Encephalitis was not merely a disease; it was a sick mindset. It was the sick mentality of the Samajwadi Party and Congress governments of that time -- a mentality that was devouring the innocent lives here while the authorities remained completely indifferent,” Adityanath said, according to news agency ANI.He claimed that more than 50,000 innocent lives were lost over four decades and alleged that no chief minister from the Samajwadi Party or Congress, or Congress prime minister, had visited the region to assess the situation.Adityanath also alleged that a parallel “mafia rule” had operated across Uttar Pradesh under previous governments.“A parallel mafia rule operated across the state. Today, I can say that UP has truly lived up to its name. No one calls UP a 'Bimaru' state anymore. No one questions Uttar Pradesh now. The state now commands a respectable image,” he said.“The mafia has been crushed, wiped out completely. For those who threaten the safety of daughters and traders, there are only two places: either jail or hell; there is no third option,” he added.The chief minister said the government had moved from “one district, one mafia” to “one district, one medical college”, pointing to medical colleges in Deoria and Kushinagar.Deoria development projects, education and connectivityAdityanath said encephalitis had been eradicated and linked the development to the government's healthcare initiatives.He highlighted the medical college in Deoria named after Maharishi Deoraha Baba and said connectivity in the district was being improved through new bypasses and flyovers.“Single-lane roads are being converted to double lanes, double-lane roads to 4-lanes, and 4-lane roads to 6-lanes,” he said.The chief minister also highlighted composite schools, the upgradation of Kasturba Gandhi schools, Abhyudaya coaching facilities for competitive examinations and the transformation of basic education schools under the government's ‘Operation Kayakalp’ programme.Akhilesh alleges shortages in healthcare systemSeparately, Akhilesh Yadav alleged that Uttar Pradesh was facing shortages of doctors and paramedical staff and promised free treatment and medicines for poor people if the Samajwadi Party returned to power.Yadav claimed there was one doctor for every 16,000 people in the state and alleged that 41% of posts in government hospitals were vacant.“More than 24,000 posts in nursing and paramedical services are vacant,” he said.The former chief minister also claimed that 604 posts were vacant at AIIMS Gorakhpur and 579 at AIIMS Rae Bareli.He alleged that the number of primary health centres had declined in several districts, including Gorakhpur.“When the chief minister is reducing the number of health centres in his own district, imagine what the situation would be elsewhere,” Yadav said.Yadav further alleged that patients were being forced to spend heavily on treatment and medicines.“In the future, when the Samajwadi government is formed, no card will be asked for. A patient will come, and his treatment and medicines will be free,” he said.He said the proposal would cover routine as well as serious illnesses, including cancer, and would be included in the party's manifesto.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.