End politics of caste and appeasement, says Adityanath

Gorakhpur (UP), Oct 16: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath today stressed on freeing the state from the "politics of caste and appeasement" claiming it had been rampant during the last 15 years.

"To make Uttar Pradesh strong, it is essential that we end the kind of politics being practiced here during the past 15 years," he said.

Adityanath said the focus of his government is on farmers, women, villages and people who were not part of the mainstream, he said.

"India can become able and powerful only when UP becomes able and powerful, and for this we need to end the politics of caste and appeasement which has been in practice for the last 15-20 years," Adityanath, who arrived here on a two-day visit, said.

The chief minister was speaking at the 'bhumi pujan' ceremony of a GAIL gas terminal and a unit of the Hindustan Fertiliser Corporation Limited here.

The chief minister mentioned a number of works being undertaken by his government for the development of the state's Purvanchal region.

"We purchased 37 lakh metric tonnes of wheat from farmers whereas the previous government was not able to purchase even 30 lakh metric tonnes in five years...A new sugar mill will be inaugurated in Gorakhpur which will also have a distillery and power generation unit. It will increase employment in the area," he said.

Asking people concerned to send a proposal for setting up a central school as the one functioning earlier had been closed down, he said development is the way for everyone to move forward.

The chief minister is likely to come here again on October 19 to spend Diwali with the Vantangiyas, a community of forest dwellers.

The Vantangiya community comprises people who were brought from Mayanmar to plant trees for afforestation during the colonial rule.

The community faces problems related to the use of natural forest produce like fruits, honey, wax, wood and leaves to meet their daily needs as the forests inhabited by them are not considered as revenue villages.

Conversion of tribal-dominated forest villages to revenue villages under the provisions of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act will enable the administration to adopt development measures such as setting up of schools, dispensaries, and other such facilities in these villages.

Officials said the chief minister, who had raised issues concerning Vantangiyas in the Parliament as an MP, will accord revenue village status to 23 hamlets.