Ayodhya, Sep 8 (IANS) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday said that under the erstwhile Samajwadi Party (SP) government, the supply of nutritious food to Anganwadi centres in the state was controlled by ‘Mafias’.
CM Adityanath made the remark while was attending an event to honour Anganwadi workers in Ayodhya.
The Chief Minister announced several schemes for Anganwadi workers in the state, including an annual health coverage through a cashless insurance scheme worth Rs 5 lakh.
“The monthly honorarium for Anganwadi workers—which had previously been increased to cover an 8-month period—is now being raised to Rs. 12,000 per month. The honorarium for Anganwadi helpers is now being increased to Rs. 6,000,” he said, adding that smartphones will also be provided to all workers.
Stating that Anganwadi centres are now technologically equipped, CM Aditynath said: “I still remember the situation of Anganwadi centres nine years back. They were worn-out, disorganised.”
“Proper food didn’t reach the centres, leading to disrepute of the Anganwadi staff. This cheating was carried out by the then government,” he said while alleging that the nutritious food meant for the Anganwadi centres was “controlled by ‘Mafias’ back then”.
Targeting the SP, he added, “The reach of the Mafia was such that it could influence any system. No body could dare speak before it. As a result, the Anganwadi centres were not taken care of. There were complains that it didn’t get nutritious food on time. The centres had to bear the consequences of somebody’s else’s actions.”
He alleged that the previous SP government and the mafia “together destroyed the system” due to which Anganwadi workers were held responsible.
Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s comparison of Anganwadi women to that of Lord Krishna’s foster mother ‘Yashoda’ in 2014, the UP CM said: “In order to show respect towards your work, I have come to start these schemes from Ayodhya, the sacred land of Lord Ram.”
The Chief Minister further claimed that before 2017, the Anganwadi centres in the state lacked basic facilities, saying: “The then government lacked sympathy, money went into the hands of mafias, and as a result the Anganwadi centres remained worn-out.”
CM Adityanath asserted that his government has given an “organised look” to more than 70,000 Anganwadi centres in the state.
“We have asked to ensure separate infrastructure for each Anganwadi centre in the state for a healthy childhood,” he said, adding that these centres will be the foundation for PM Modi’s ‘Viksit Bharat’ vision.
Moreover, the Chief Minister also spoke about the development in Ayodhya under the BJP-led government.
“Ten years back, there was no electricity, roads, cleanliness or any other facility in Ayodhya. There was anarchy all around,” he claimed.
Yogi Adityanath alleged that before the BJP came to power in the state, “electricity was controlled by the syndicate” in Uttar Pradesh.
Further, he accused Samajwadi Party of opposing the developmental works carried out by the BJP in the temple town, saying: “They (SP) were against the construction of roads, railway station and even airport in Ayodhya dham.”
Referring to the SP as “opposed to development”, he accused the party as well as the Congress of opposing the construction of the Ram Temple.
–IANS
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