Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday said that as per the vision of the Prime Minister, the ancient city of Kashi is becoming a confluence of ‘nature, culture and adventure’ today and the potential of the nearby districts has also expanded, therefore focus should be paid on Integrated Regional Development Planning.
During a meeting to review ongoing development projects in Varanasi and Ayodhya with ministers and senior officers, Yogi said, “For the purpose of planned development like the National Capital Region, prepare an integrated development plan connecting Varanasi district with its bordering districts Bhadohi, Ghazipur, Ballia and Chandauli. This effort can be important for the purpose of speeding up the economic progress of eastern UP. The housing department should present its action plan along with preliminary study.”
He said that under the guidance of the Prime Minister, unprecedented transport services of water, land and air transport are available in Varanasi today. “Soon rope-way service will also be available there. The construction work should be started after laying the foundation stone of the ropeway construction work as soon as possible,” he said.
The CM said that there must be information and tourism centers of UP in all the major cities of the country. “Through this, wide publicity should be given about the state’s cultural, spiritual and industrial possibilities,” he said.
He said that urban town planners should be deployed in every development authority and urban body. “While deciding the projects, consider the situation for the next 50 years. Development authorities, urban bodies, local administration and police should ensure that illegal settlements or residential colonies are not established anywhere, under any circumstances. There should be no shortage of manpower in the authorities. Carry out the recruitment process as required,” he said.
Yogi said that the consumers should be encouraged for timely payment of electricity bills. “For this, it is necessary that people get the correct bills on time. Overbilling, false billing or late billing causes inconvenience to the consumer. To improve this system, the Energy Department will have to make a concrete action plan to increase the billing and collection efficiency. Special efforts are needed in rural areas,” he directed.
He said that the process to lay underground electric cables should be completed in a time-bound manner. “Hanging wires of cable TV, internet and broadband connection should be properly resolved,” he said.
The CM said that the updated status of the projects being implemented in all the 17 smart cities should be reviewed at the Chief Secretary level. “Places should be marked for hoardings and banners put up in the cities. Hoardings and banners should not be put up in an arbitrary manner. Encourage display boards in place of hoardings.
A clear policy should be prepared by the housing department in this regard. This effort will prove to be helpful in increasing revenue and beautification of the city,” he said.
He said that the ‘Safe City Project’ is proving to be very useful in fulfilling the resolution of women’s safety, respect and self-reliance. “The security system of the cities has become smart with the Integrated Traffic Management System (ITMS) installed under the Smart City Project,” he said.
Yogi said, “Various financial bodies and business establishments should be encouraged to install CCTV cameras and it should be integrated with the ITMS. In order to develop 17 cities of UP as ‘safe cities’, financial management should be done through convergence and inter-departmental coordination. UP will be the first state to have 17 safe cities,” he said.
He said that along with Lucknow, traffic management is a big challenge at important religious tourist places like Varanasi, Ayodhya, Mathura-Vrindavan, Naimisharanya, Maa Vindhyachal Dham, Maa Shakumbhari Devi Dham, Maa Lalita Devi Dham, Maa Pateshwari Dham.
He said, “During the Global Investors Summit in the past, our team had presented a good example of traffic management. Similarly planning should be done for these important places during Chaitra Navratri. Senior police officers should keep inspecting the arrangements here. Make maximum use of the public address system at the intersections.”
The CM said that sanitation works need to be improved further at Manikarnika Ghat and Harishchandra Ghat in Varanasi. “There should be an arrangement of toilets here for the disabled and the elderly. Many private industrial organisations have expressed their desire to cooperate in this work, necessary action should be taken after communicating with them. The construction work of Varuna Corridor in Varanasi is still incomplete. It should be completed as soon as possible,” he directed.
He said that changing rooms should be made for women at Ramji Ki Paidi and Naya Ghat in Ayodhya. “The Irrigation Department should ensure the arrangement of cleanliness at these Ghats. Connect people to the cleanliness campaign through the public address system,” he said.
The meeting was attended by Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak, Agriculture Minister Surya Pratap Shahi, Urban Development and Energy Minister AK Sharma, Tourism and Culture Minister Jaiveer Singh, Industrial and Infrastructure Development Department Nand Gopal Gupta, Basic Education Minister Sandeep Singh, Transport Minister Daya Shankar Singh, Secondary Education Minister Gulab Devi, Animal Husbandry Minister Dharampal Singh and Minister of State for Medical Health Mayankeshwar Sharan Singh.
