Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday said that according to global agencies more than 13 crore people have escaped the poverty line in the nine and a half years of the government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Interacting with the beneficiaries of welfare schemes during Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra on Tuesday, Yogi cautioned people against people working to divide the society by engaging in caste politics and to work unitedly towards empowerment of the nation. “Those who robbed the poor of their rights in the past are indulging in caste politics today,” he remarked.

He added that today not only schemes are being made for the poor in the country but also being implemented. The benefits of government schemes are reaching the villages, poor and youth without any discrimination. The objective of Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra is to bring happiness on the face of every person, he remarked.

Yogi interacted with the beneficiaries from Meerut, Basti, Chandauli, Mahoba and Barabanki districts. He connected online with the beneficiaries of schemes during Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra organized at 800 places in all 75 districts of the state.

He said that 642 Modi Guarantee vans are running in the state under the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra. So far, Modi Guarantee Van has reached 36983 Gram Panchayats out of 57709 Gram Panchayats of Uttar Pradesh. Also, 1027 programmes have been organised in 762 municipal bodies. Till now, this Yatra has connected with approximately three crore people within the state, he informed.

Yogi said that wherever Modi Guarantee Van is reaching in Uttar Pradesh today, thousands of people are joining it while camps are set up for registration of those deprived of its benefits despite eligibility.

Talking about Prime Minister Modi’s five pledges of a developed India, free from a slave’s mentality, taking pride in heritage, staying united with solidarity and performing civic duty, he said that when 140 crore people will move forward with one voice and leadership, no power in the world will be able to stop India from becoming developed in the true sense.

Yogi said that the result of the hard work of the double engine government is that today 55 lakh poor people in the state have got houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, three crore people have got toilets and 1.75 lakh poor people have got free gas connections under the Ujjwala scheme whereas free electricity connections have been provided to 1 crore 54 lakh families, electricity has reached 1 lakh 21 thousand villages, 10 crore people are covered under Ayushman Bharat scheme and 15 crore people are getting free ration. These schemes are becoming the basis of comprehensive changes in the life of every person today, he pointed out.

Yogi said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, the country has progressed in every field in the last nine and a half years. India’s reputation has increased on the global stage, state-of-the-art infrastructure has been developed within the country while people are getting the benefits of government schemes without any discrimination. Farmers are being given one and a half times the cost. There has been a massive change in the lives of farmers through Kisan Samman Nidhi.

CM Yogi appealed to the public representatives and citizens to propagate the Guarantee Van as much as possible so that every eligible person can get the benefits of the government schemes. “By 2047, we will be able to see Prime Minister Modi’s resolution coming true when there is a change in the lives of every person in the country,” he remarked.

Many dignitaries including Agriculture Minister Surya Pratap Shahi, Minister of State for Agriculture Baldev Singh Aulakh, beneficiaries of various schemes, Bharatiya Janata Party MPs, MLAs, official workers were present in the programme.

Interacting with the CM, Nirjala Devi of Chandauli district, a beneficiary of various government schemes, thanked him for his kindness and said that because of his government she has got a permanent house, toilet, Ayushman card, free ration and employment through women’s self-help groups.

Shyam Sakhi from Mahoba said that they were denied a house in the previous governments and had to live in a tiled house that got flooded in the rainy season, adding that today, along with having a permanent house, they are getting the benefits of all the government schemes.

Maya Devi of Basti told the CM that that earlier she had to go to the fields for toilet and did not have any gas cylinders but today she has both as well as she is also getting free ration and is earning through SHGs.

Sarita Devi of Barabanki said that she is getting the benefits of all the schemes of the Central as well as the State Government. Abhishek Nehra of Meerut said that he has formed a group of farmers and is working on stubble management, harvesting and ploughing.