Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath inaugurated the two-day Atal Health Fair at Dilkusha Lawn, Lucknow.
to commemorate the birth centenary of Bharat Ratna and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
Rajnath and Yogi also inaugurated and laid the foundation for 181 projects worth Rs 662 crore on the occasion.
Speaking at the event, the CM said that Atalji, who represented Lucknow as an MP five times, revolutionized Indian politics by steering it from instability to stability.
He said, “He also brought Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay’s vision of Antyodaya to life. Inspired by his legacy, the Atal Health Fair continues to deliver healthcare services to the underprivileged and needy.”
Yogi recalled that health fairs were first launched during Atalji’s leadership in 1998-99, but were discontinued in later years. “Reviving this tradition, the Atal Health Fair has been organized consistently over the last five years, benefiting more than 50,000 people between 2020 and 2023,” he said.
Describing Atalji as the ‘Ajatshatru’ of Indian politics, the CM praised his spontaneity and simplicity, which endeared him to people across all sections of society. He also commended Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s role in Lucknow’s all-around development and acknowledged the significant contribution of projects worth Rs 662 crore that were inaugurated and launched during the event.
Assistive devices like prosthetic limbs, tricycles, wheelchairs, and blind sticks were distributed at the health fair.
Referring to initiatives for empowering the differently-abled (Divyangjans) under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, Yogi emphasized the increase in their annual pension to Rs 12,000 and highlighted ongoing programmes for equipment distribution to support their needs.
On this occasion, Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak, Cabinet Minister Swatantra Dev Singh, Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Seth, Legislative Council Member Dr. Mahendra Singh, Santosh Singh, Mukesh Sharma, Eng. Avnish Singh, Ramchandra Pradhan, MLA Yogesh Shukla, Amresh Kumar, OP Srivastava, Jai Devi were present.
