Na Gundaraj, Na Bhrashtachar, Abki baar BJP Sarkar: This was the slogan with which Yogi Adityanath marched into power in Uttar Pradesh.
Having been sworn-in as chief minister on 19 March this year, Adityanath has completed six months in office. The BJP claims to have fulfilled most of the promises it made during the election campaign.
There is now a government free of pressure and influence in UP. The rule of law is established. There was not a single riot in the six-month tenure. There were riots due to political influence earlier. But now, Uttar Pradesh is free from it. Earlier, the police used to be attacked, but now, the police is attacking criminals. We have curbed gundaraj and corruption. E-tendering arrangements have been implemented in many departments to prevent corruption. From mining to transportation, we have made most of the departments transparent.Rakesh Tripathi, BJP Spokesperson
Here’s a look at how promises made by the three-time MP from Gorakhpur have fared.
1. Law and Order
The problems of law and order have always been on top of a political candidate’s pitch during Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh. Even during the last election, the BJP and the BSP rapped the then ruling Samajwadi Party on its poor implementation.
In fact, it was the failure of law and order, especially during times of riots, that led to the defeat of the Samajwadi Party.
After taking oath as the chief minister, Adityanath had warned all anti-social persons who were under the protection of power to leave UP or they will be sent to “places where nobody wants to go.”
Reality
In the first three months after assuming power, the Adityanath government failed to establish the rule of law as promised. In response to a question in the Assembly, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Khanna said that after the BJP came to power in the state on 9 May, there were 729 murders, 803 rapes, 60 robberies, 799 incidents of looting, and 2,682 abduction incidents in the state.
However, in the 420 encounters reported between the police and criminals from 20 March and 14 September, 15 persons were killed and 84 were injured. The police have arrested 1,106 miscreants in the last six months.
2. Anti-Romeo Squads
Soon after forming the government, Adityanath ordered that ‘Anti-Romeo’ squads be established to protect students and women. The squad was formed to stop incidents of harassment of schoolgirls. More than 7,42,000 people have been checked by the Anti-Romeo Squads.
As many as 538 cases were registered by the them. The state government claimed to have given 1,264 men a legal warning between 22 March and 28 May.
Reality
Although the Anti-Romeo squads were appreciated in the first three months of their formation, the campaign later became controversial. The squad was itself accused of moral policing, unnecessary harassment, and taking bribes.
3. Farm Loan Waiver
Adityanath, fulfilling the election promise in the first Cabinet meeting, announced it will waive the loans of small and marginal farmers, worth up to Rs 1 lakh. The government claimed that more than 86 lakh farmers will benefit from this scheme. The farmers’ debts were waived and they were also distributed loan waiver certificates.
Reality
All beneficiaries of the scheme are expected to receive certificates. However, there have been reports of farmers receiving cheques of Rs 9, Rs 18 and Rs 20 and so on.
4. Anti Geo-Mafia Portal
Adityanath launched the anti-land mafia portal aimed at land-grabbing of government and private properties. The portal allows people to file complaints of illegal land-grabbing online.
Reality
Illegal occupation of land is an important law and order concern in Uttar Pradesh. The Anti Geo-Mafia portal was made to address complaints of illegal land-grabbing, and it has definitely not been a failure. The number of complaints have also gone down due to immediate action against the land mafia.
5. Power for All
The Adityanath government, in collaboration with the Central government, signed the 24x7 ‘Power for All’ agreement. Under the joint effort, the target is to provide electricity to every household in the state by October 2018. The state government has announced that the district headquarters would be provided 24 hours electricity, while the tehsils and the villages would be given 20 hours and 18 hours of electricity, respectively.
Reality
Even though the government has come out with the roster, from Purvanchal to western Uttar pradesh, all the districts are extremely troubled. The Opposition has also raised the issue of power cuts.
Outstanding Payments of Cane Farmers
Right after Adityanath took over as chief minister, he took note of the long-standing problem of payments that were due to sugarcane farmers in western Uttar Pradesh. He had given instructions for the outstanding payments to be cleared within 14 days.
Reality
The Yogi Adityanath government has fulfilled the promise made to sugarcane farmers. According to figures provided by the BJP, dues of 93 percent of sugarcane farmers have been paid. More than Rs 23,000 crore has been paid to the farmers so far.
The next mandate on Adityanath’s list is giving jobs to 47,000 youth. But, how will the Yogi government keep its word while the old promises are yet to be fulfilled?
(This story was first published on Hindi Quint)
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