Key Points

Speaking at the event, CM Yogi said, "Today Gorakhpur is getting the gift of projects worth Rs 1,500 crores. Projects worth Rs 1,000 crores are being inaugurated, and the foundation stone of projects worth Rs 500 crores is being laid.

CM Adityanath recalled the dire state of power supply in the region before 2017.

"Before 2017, electricity was hardly available in Gorakhpur. There was a rotation of 5 hours in urban areas and 5 hours in rural areas. Electricity used to come for one week at night and not for the other week. This was the situation before 2017," he said.

He emphasized that development is the only path forward, taking a veiled dig at political opponents.

"There can be no alternative to development. Those who failed to bring progress are the ones trying to disrupt the harmony of society," he remarked.

Touching on national progress, the Chief Minister praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership.

"Before 2014, India was drowning in corruption and faced a climate of distrust. Terrorism and Naxalism posed major threats to national security. But in the last 10 years, we have seen the rise of a new India--an India that is setting global benchmarks in development and decisively tackling internal threats," CM Yogi said.

In a lighter moment ahead of the formal ceremonies, CM Yogi was seen interacting and playing with children, bringing a human touch to the day's official proceedings.

Earlier on Friday, CM Yogi Adityanath laid the foundation stone of a 500-bed 'Powergrid Vishram Sadan' at AIIMS Gorakhpur.

He added that AIIMS Gorakhpur is making steady progress and contributing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of a developed India.

"AIIMS Gorakhpur is moving ahead on the path of progress; it is a matter of happiness. It is situated in the heart of eastern Uttar Pradesh. I am confident that we will be able to contribute to fulfilling Prime Minister Modi's vision, which he has seen by linking health services with the vision of a developed India," CM Yogi said in Gorakhpur.

The new rest house will be built at a cost of Rs 44 crore and will accommodate up to 500 people. The project is being supported by Power Grid Corporation of India as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts. The facility will help patients and their family members who come from distant places for treatment at AIIMS Gorakhpur.

CM Yogi also inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for several development projects worth Rs 91 crore at Madan Mohan Malaviya University of Technology in Gorakhpur on Friday.

He also inaugurated a grain-based distillery plant worth Rs 1,200 crore under the super mega project at the Gorakhpur Industrial Development Authority (GIDA).

Speaking at the event, CM Adityanath said, "This is not just a Distillery but an ethanol plant." He added that in the first phase, it will produce 3.5 lakh litres of ethanol daily, and later, production will be increased to 5 lakh litres.

The Chief Minister said that ethanol production in India has grown significantly--from 42 lakh litres earlier to 177 crore litres--since PM Modi approved ethanol production from surplus sugarcane.

CM Yogi also highlighted the changes in GIDA under the BJP-led government. He said GIDA has attracted investments worth over Rs 15,000 crore, which shows a complete change from earlier times when there was little interest in setting up industries.

- ANI