Departmental presentations to Yogi are in full swing. While there are hiccups and setbacks, it is needless to say that the administrative machinery has sprung to action. There are still many instances of undesirable execution but, the trajectory is encouraging.
Here is a gist of the first three weeks of Yogi administration: Investigations in various scams have been launched. There is a massive change underway in the law and order situation. The jail administration seems to be under strict monitoring by Yogi personally and criminal activities inside jails are being actively curbed. Yogi has personally met former UP DGP Prakash Singh, crusader for Police Reforms and given serious indications of his intent on the topic.
Selection to more than 40,000 government positions have been blocked in order to ruthlessly curb the corruption and irregularities in selections to govt positions. The decades of havoc Encephalitis has wreaked in Purvanchal is being countered head on. It seems that Bundelkhand will also finally get some respite from an indifferent Lucknow. Several scams, Panjiri, Gomti Riverfront, Sale of Sugar mills are being prepared to be probed into. Power for All agreement has been signed ahead of time, and steps are being actively taken to meet 24 hours electricity by November 2018.
Here are the chronicles of the first three weeks: Week 1, Week 2, and Week 3.
Here is how the final week of the first month of the Yogi administration passed:
Day 24: Second Cabinet meeting happens today. Following decisions are taken:
- District headquarters will have 24 hours electricity daily. Tehsil headquarters will have 20 hrs electricity daily. Bundelkhand will also get 20 hours electricity.
- 85000+ roads will be made pothole free by June 15. An amount of Rs. 4500 crores has been approved for the same.
- New mining policy to be instituted.
- CAG given Rights to audit all Development Authorities, including Ghaziabad Development Authority, and Housing Development Board. CAG had earlier asked for permissions to audit GDA but, Akhilesh government had denied.
- State will contribute 40% funding to Border Area Development Programme. So far center used to do 100% funding.
- Every District Hospital will have 20 extra beds for Encephalitis. Every Medical College in the state will have 10 beds reserved for Encephalitis.
- Payments to sugarcane farmers from sugar mills will happen within 14 days. All pending payments from the past will be settled within 120 days.
- Cabinet approves programme to solve drinking water problem in Bundelkhand.
CM has also instructed for the modernization of Madarsa syllabus to include History, Geography, Science, Maths and English.
Day 25: In a major bureaucratic reshuffle, Yogi has removed Akhilesh loyalists from important positions. 20 IAS officers have been reshuffled.
Secretariat to start biometric attendance and record digitization.
While reviewing presentation of Revenue Department, it has been decided to constitute a task force to free government properties from illegal mafia occupation.
Yogi has instructed investigations into distribution of ration cards and selection of beneficiaries of Antyodaya scheme. A new list of BPL families will be prepared to ensure benefits reach the intended recipients.
To help the labour class, scholarships between 100 – 5000 rupees monthly will be specially for children of registered Labourers. New residential schools in addition to current 12 for their children will also be created in 20 districts. State government will give financial assistance for marriages of up to two daughters of registered labourers. A separate shramik helpline will also be set up. Deendayal Suraksha Beema Yojana will cover 5 lakh labourers of unorganized sector up to Rs. 2 lakhs.
Dimple Verma removed from Child Development and Pushtahar department. The department has been under lots of news for distribution of 700 crores worth of Panjiri without any tenders.
Day 26: Tenders in all government departments have been replaced by e-tendering systems. It is now being ensured that no contracts are given to contractors with criminal records.
Approvals given for 5.85 lakh basic shikshaks to be given revised salaries as per seventh pay commission starting May. They will not be given transfers during May-June. First 100 days will be dedicated to achieving targets. Transfers will be subsequently considered based on performance in first 100 days.
Mass Marriage scheme for minority girls to be implemented in 100 days. Couples will be given Rs. 20,000.
Day 27: Yogi has said that holidays declared on names of great men will be revoked. This causes students to not know about the contributions of such men and also affects their studies. There are 17 such holidays.
Govt has signed the ‘Power for All’ agreement with Center. Under the agreement, the following benefits will accrue to the state:
- 9 W LED bulbs will be available for Rs. 60 apiece
- 20 W LED bulbs will be available for Rs. 220 apiece
- Fans consuming less electricity will be available for Rs. 1150 apiece
- 10,000 solar panel energy efficient pumps will be installed across the state. The excess energy generated through these panels will be distributed through micro grids for consumption.
Yogi has said the entire state will have 24 hours electricity by November 2018. Electricity connections will be given free of cost to BPL families. Surcharge waiver (Delayed Surcharge Payment Amnesty) scheme begins today.
Yogi has said 30 districts will be identified and made Open Defecation Free by 31st December, 2017.
Day 28: Dangerous criminal Atiq Ahmed’s bail plea has been rejected by court. Atik was presented through video conferencing. Following developments have happened:
- Dangerous criminals will not be allowed to stay in a single barrack.
- All visitors will be recorded. These records are to be brought online.
- CCTVs to be installed in all sensitive places in jails.
- Mobile phones are to be strictly controlled and jammers are to be installed.
- Use of video conferencing to present criminals to courts to minimize movement of criminals.
Government has asked officials to return all excess vehicles they are not entitled to. Retired officials have also been asked to immediately return such vehicles.
Day 29 – 31: Third cabinet meeting has happened on the 18th April.
During Finance Department’s presentation, Yogi has said State govt programmes parallel to Central govt programmes to be scrapped. Only the Central schemes will continue. Following this decision, about a dozen such schemes like Lohia Awaas, Aasra Awaas introduced by previous govt will be scrapped.
In the presentation, Yogi has also instructed for strict actions to be taken against companies that run away with public money.
Anti-Land Mafia task force to be constituted soon.
Yogi has instructed officials to act on center’s suggestions on creating an Animal Welfare Board and making the state Rabies free.
In the cabinet meeting, the following have been decided:
- Pradhan Mantri Fasal Beema Yojna has been given green signal by the cabinet. Insurance companies have been instructed to settle claims in 21 days. If not done, penalties will be levied on the company. If more than a month is taken, then companies will be blacklisted.
- Insurance cover will be valid for two fiscal years (2017-18 and 2018-19) at one go.
- 50 Lakh farmers are targeted to benefit from this programme. Last year, the scheme had benefited 36 Lakh farmers.
- Sugarcane farmers have been kept outside of the purview of the scheme on their request. Cane farmers had raised concerns that their crops are not affected by bad weather and their premiums are wasted.
20 new Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVK) will be opened in the state. This is towards state government’s target of doubling farmers income.
43 IAS officials have been reshuffled. Commissioners of 9 mandals have been transferred.
Acting on the nexus between police and criminals, 626 police officials have been transferred to other districts.
To facilitate developmental work, Yogi has instructed officials to make mining leases available through E-Tendering by 10th May.
Home department is reported to be preparing a blueprint for recruitment of 1.25 Lakh policemen. Home department is scheduled to make their presentation to Yogi on the 19th.
Yogi has instructed for the strict prohibition of alcohol sale in religious places.
Instructions have been given to initialize feasibility studies into Metro for Gorakhpur.
Directions issued for immediate transfer of sipahis who have been at a single thana for too long.
Yogi is expected to visit Bundelkhand on the 20th. It is worthwhile to note that a number of initiatives have been taken on Bundelkhand, including arrangement of water for the state.
UP Govt to give land for Maulana Azad Urdu University, Hyderabad’s Lucknow campus.
By the end of the first month, tremendous amount of efforts have been put into a variety of streams. Yogi has instructed the entire administrative machinery that the results of their work should start showing on ground in 3 months. Whether that happens, only time will tell.
However, this article is an effort to enable an objective assessment of Yogi Adityanath beyond the media-hyped personality propagated over decades. Within the first month, he has perhaps been the cause of many radical steps. He has already been handling law and order on a war footing. He is already steadily on his path to resolving electricity and health crises that have continued to plague the state for so many decades. Purvanchal and Bundelkhand, both of which have been neglected through decades are hopeful of some positive outcomes.
Of course, a second month of the government will finish on the 19th of this month and much more would have happened by then. However, the one thing that Yogi has proven beyond doubt is his untiring capacity and sincerity for work. How effective Yogi will be in terms of real impact on ground, time will tell. But, till then enough has happened to absolve him of the decades long personality he had imposed on him by mainstream media.
(These have been compiled from various news paper reports)
