Within four hours today, Uttar Pradesh gained an I-T city, a cancer hospital and an Olympic size swimming pool. On paper. Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, on an inauguration spree like never before, breezed through the launch of 300 projects worth 50,000 crores.
Mr Yadav green-signaled today is an IT city spread over 100 acres, a cancer hospital worth 983 crores, and an international centre for 850 crores.
Elections will be held in Uttar Pradesh in a few months and the dates are expected any day now, after which the model code of conduct will be in place.
Mr Yadav, racing to beat the Election Commission announcement, has inaugurated projects worth crores but very few are even close to completion.
In the last month, the Chief Minister inaugurated a 302-km expressway between Lucknow and Agra in western UP. The project, worth over 10,000 crores, is yet to be opened to the public. He also flagged off the trial run for the first phase of the Lucknow metro, but the actual metro run for the public is months away.
During his various events today, Mr Yadav once again hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the government’s notes ban decision. “The notes ban has pushed us back. We were growing rapidly here in Uttar Pradesh and suddenly all that has stopped. Look at what’s happening. People are not getting money. People are dying,” said the 43-year-old.
In the last few months, the young Chief Minister has battled his own family, including father Mulayam Singh Yadav and uncle Shivpal Yadav, on many fronts, including candidates for the polls.
“Kaam bolta hai ,” has been Akhilesh Yadav’s favourite catch-phrase as he attempts to retain power in Uttar Pradesh while navigating the family feud.
Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, who launched a project today in Allahabad to upgrade five national highways, scoffed at Akhilesh Yadav, saying: “There’s less work in Uttar Pradesh and more talk”.
