Prayagraj: Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday hailed Pratapgarh’s rich heritage and credited its farmers and horticulturists for making the district known for the medicinal and commercial value of its amla,or Indian gooseberry.Addressing a public gathering, Yogi said Pratapgarh’s cultivation of amla made it a symbol of self-reliance. “The farmers, horticulturists and their ancestors have gifted us this nectar-like fruit through their efforts,” he said.Highlighting employment generation, the CM said youth from Pratapgarh were securing jobs in large numbers. He noted that hundreds of youngsters from the district were selected in the recent recruitment drive for 60,244 police personnel and were also succeeding in examinations conducted by the UP Public Service Commission, Subordinate Services Selection Commission and Education Selection Commission.Launching a sharp attack on the Samajwadi Party, Yogi alleged that jobs were previously cornered by the “Saifai clan” and denied to deserving candidates. “When youth are forced to migrate, decline becomes inevitable. That is why UP acquired the tag of a ‘Bimaru’ state. The people and the state remain the same, but the functioning of the govt has changed,” he said.The chief minister also praised local legislators for implementing govt schemes and development projects. He said that before 2017, a medical college in Pratapgarh was only a dream, but the district now has the Dr Sonelal Patel Medical College.Recalling the district’s past challenges, Yogi said Pratapgarh was once counted among backward districts and lacked basic infrastructure, including roads and connectivity. He claimed conditions improved significantly after 2014 at the Centre and 2017 in Uttar Pradesh.“Young people were forced to migrate, farmers were driven to despair, women and girls felt unsafe and artisans remained unemployed. Earlier, govts gave ‘one district, one mafia’; we have given ‘one district, one medical college’,” he said.Targeting the SP further, Yogi alleged that the party patronised mafias and ignored the concerns of the poor and farmers. “We did not work for vote-bank politics. We worked with the spirit of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas,” he said.The chief minister also highlighted the reach of various welfare schemes and said beneficiaries were receiving free treatment at district hospitals and medical colleges. He added that financial assistance for medical care was being provided through the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.Yogi also underscored the achievements of the BJP’s “double-engine” govt in the state.
