- Massive crackdown on crime & corruption spearheaded by CM Yogi earned the state investors’ unshakable trust
- Rule of law, better infrastructure & ‘ease of doing business’ behind domestic & foreign industrialists’ growing interest in Uttar Pradesh
By Our Correspondent
Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh, under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, has got the unique distinction of being the first state in the country to see launch of investments of more than Rs 10 lakh crore through over 14,000 projects simultaneously, which are poised to create employment for 34 lakh youths in foreseeable future.
The credit for these investments undeniably goes to CM Yogi, who has changed the general perception about the state in the last six to seven years, by spearheading a massive crackdown on crime and corruption and establishing rule of law in the state.
Apart from instilling a sense of security in people both within the state and outside, he ensured better connectivity within the state through building of a network of highways, expressways and link roads. He prioritised improving infrastructure relevant to industry, while providing an array of facilities to the investors to pave way for hassle-free setting up of industrial units.
As a result of these efforts, Uttar Pradesh received massive investment proposals worth around Rs 40 lakh crore through the Global Investors Summit held last year whose implementation has begun with GBC@4.0.
Recently, during the budget session in the house, CM Yogi remarked that Uttar Pradesh has emerged as a business hub and dream destination for investment in the recent times because of strong law and order, single window system as well as investment- friendly and transparent policies.
He stated that when there is sound law and order and the intentions of the government are clear, investors from the country and the world are willing to invest.
It is worth mentioning here that with the efforts of CM Yogi, UP is soon going to become the first state in the country to have 21 airports. Besides, Purvanchal Expressway and Bundelkhand Expressway have been opened to traffic while Gorakhpur Link Express is likely to be opened soon and the construction of Ballia Link Expressway is underway. Chitrakoot Link Expressway is also going to be built and the government plans to open Ganga Expressway before Prayagraj Mahakumbh.In the last seven years, 1235 four-lane projects have been taken forward in various districts of the state.
Not only this, under the leadership of CM Yogi, Uttar Pradesh has come out of the category of BIMARU state and has become the second largest economy of the country. Uttar Pradesh is contributing 9.2 percent to the country’s economy while the state’s per capita income has doubled and it has become a revenue surplus state.
UP is making rapid strides towards its one trillion dollar economy goal. Until 2017, only two airports, Varanasi and Lucknow, were operational in the state while today 10 airports have become operational, ending connectivity issues of investors. A total of 150 flights are operating to more than 75 destinations while the number of air passengers has increased 100 times in 2023, compared to 2016-17. Inland Water Ways Authority has been formed for connectivity in rivers. Under this, the construction work of multi modal terminal has been completed in Varanasi district. Today UP has the largest railway network.
CM Yogi has reiterated time and again his resolve to make Uttar Pradesh the growth engine of the country. GBC is a positive and important step taken in this direction with the start of investment projects worth Rs 10 lakh crore, which will create 34 lakh employment opportunities.
Another important aspect of the GBC@4.0 is that no district is untouched in terms of investment in line with CM Yogi’s vision. Of the 14 thousand projects launched in GBC 4.0, maximum 52 percent projects are coming on the ground in Paschimanchal, 29 percent in Purvanchal, 14 percent in Madhyanchal and 5 percent in Bundelkhand. Of the investments being made, 23 percent are projects worth more than Rs 10 thousand crores, 12 percent worth between 5 thousand to 10 thousand crores, 20 percent worth 1 thousand crore to 5 thousand crores, 10 percent worth 500 crores to 1 thousand crores, 20 percent 100 crores to 500 crores, 10 percent worth 20 crores to 100 crores and 5 percent projects worth less than Rs 20 crores.
Investors’ summits were organized in the governments before CM Yogi also but the outcome had almost been nil. Between 2012 and 2017, it was claimed that investments worth thousands of crores would be raised through events held in Delhi, Mumbai and Dubai, but nothing was seen on the ground. According to an estimate, only Rs. 60 thousand crores could be invested in Uttar Pradesh in the five years between 2007 and 2012 and only Rs. 50 thousand crores between 2012 and 2017. In reality, both the claims investments and employments were almost negligible during the previous regimes due to poor law and order situation, rampant extortions and frequent riots.
