Laying the foundation of 18 Atal Awasiya Vidyalayas (Atal residential schools) for the children of daily wagers on UP Diwas, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that by providing education and skill to underprivileged children, the government aimed at grooming good citizens and ensuring that government schemes reached the last man in society.
The schools are being opened in 18 divisions of UP.
Emphasising that it was a day of great pride for the state, Yogi said that it provided a chance to assess the journey of UP in the last seventy years.
The chief minister was speaking at a function held for the third UP Diwas celebrations at Awadh Shilp Gram on Friday.
On the occasion, Governor Anandiben Patel and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also felicitated sports persons and industrialists from UP for making a mark for the state on the national and global stage.
“Industrialists who have been felicitated have invested in Uttar Pradesh and thus changed the perception of the state and also generated employment for the youth. At the same time, the state government is committed towards sports persons and plans to give Rs 6 crore to Olympic gold medalists, Rs 4 crore to silver medalists and Rs 2 crore to bronze medalists,” Yogi said.
Explaining the concept of Atal Awasiya Vidyalala, the chief minister said, “These schools will be run on the lines of Navodaya Vidyalayas and wards of registered labourers would be provided free education, fooding and lodging. Good students will be encouraged for academics while those good at sports will be specifically trained and others will be made self-dependent through skill development,” Yogi said.
The chief minister said that these schools would also reach out to orphans and other underprivileged children and they would be looked after by the state government.
“When UP was notified as a state in 1950, no one would have imagined that it would be the largest base of Indian democracy and give the country the maximum number of prime ministers,” the chief minister said.
“The Ganga traverses the maximum distance across UP and Prayagraj has the confluence of Ganga and Yamuna. UP is also the birthplace of Lord Ram, Lord Krishna, Lord Buddha and Tirthankaras,” Yogi said.
Referring to the success of Kumbh Mela last year, the chief minister said that no less than 24 crore people — more than the population of the state — visited the mega event.
“During the three-day UP Diwas celebrations, cultural artistes, artisans of traditional crafts and those contributing to Swachhata Mission will be felicitated,” Yogi said.
In her address, Governor Anandiben Patel said that people would remember the glorious past of UP — the land of Rama, Krishna and Buddha — during the UP Diwas celebrations.
Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma said that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had set a record of sorts by organising Ayodhya Deepotsav, Krishna Janmotsav and through various expressways.