- Monday, April 21, 2025
Seven to eight years ago, one could not even think that such an environment of investment and jobs would be made in UP, the PM said at a business event in Lucknow.
By: Shubham Ghosh
INDIAN prime minister Narendra Modi on Monday (19) said that the era of bureaucratic hurdles has been supplanted by a welcoming environment for investors during the seven-year tenure of the “double-engine” government in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh. When Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party is in power in a state, it is generally said that the state is under a “double engine” government since the party is also in power in New Delhi.
Speaking at a groundbreaking ceremony for projects exceeding Rs 10 lakh crore (£95.5 million) in Lucknow, the state capital, he highlighted the emergence of a climate fostering trade, development, and confidence in the state.
“Seven to eight years ago, one could not even think that such an environment of investment and jobs would be made in UP. Crime and riots were common then and no one would have even believed if anyone said that UP would be developed,” he said, targeting earlier governments.
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“It has been seven years since the double-engine government was formed in UP. In these years, UP has removed the red tape culture and replaced it with red carpet culture,” he said.
He also took a dig at the opposition Indian National Congress, pointing out that members of the party seemed to believe that only individuals from one particular family were deserving of the Bharat Ratna, the country’s highest civilian award.
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This, he suggested, was the reason why B R Ambedkar, the father of the Indian Constitution, was not conferred the honour by their governments for many decades, with the recognition only coming posthumously in 1990. Modi also noted that he had the privilege to bestow the award upon former prime minister Chaudhary Charan Singh, a revered farmer leader from Uttar Pradesh.
He underscored his government’s initiatives for farmers, affirming their commitment to ensuring that all beneficiaries of various schemes, termed ‘labharthi’, receive their entitled benefits.
“The exports from UP have doubled in the past years. UP has done commendable work in electricity production and transmission. UP is the state with the most number of expressways in the country,” he said.
He said micro, small and medium enterprises are the strength behind “Viksit Uttar Pradesh” (developed Uttar Pradesh) and they benefitted from schemes such as “One District, One Product” and Vishwakarma Scheme.
“In the last seven years, crime has reduced in UP and business culture has expanded. An environment of trade, development and trust has developed in UP in the last seven years,” he said.
Modi on the occasion launched 14,000 projects across Uttar Pradesh for investment proposals received during the UP Global Investors Summit. The projects relate to sectors such as manufacturing, renewable energy, food processing, housing and real estate, hospitality and entertainment, and education.
Uttar Pradesh governor Anandiben Patel, Indian defence minister Rajnath Singh and chief minister Yogi Adityanath also attended the event besides Several industrialists, representatives of top global and Indian companies, and many foreign envoys.
(With PTI inputs)
