LUCKNOW: Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday said more than 50,000 street vendors across Uttar Pradesh would be able to celebrate Diwali with greater enthusiasm as their financial condition would get a boost due to sales in the seven-day Vikas Mahotsav.
Inaugurating the event at Jhulelal Vatika on Thursday, Yogi said, “Over 1,500 vendors selling food, clothes and basic utilities of daily life have been provided space at the venue by Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) which is organising the programme.”
The event started with ‘Gomti aarti’ by the CM, which was followed by a laser show depicting development work being done. Later, the story of Ramayana was also narrated through a colourful laser show, leaving over 10,000 people who visited the mela mesmeised.
The CM felicitated 1,200 street vendors and sanitary workers for their work during the pandemic.
“Mohatsavs are being organised at 200 nagar palikas and 17 municipal corporations across the state to help street vendors who faced innumerable difficulties during the pandemic. The effort is in accordance with the PM’s vision of Vocal for Local,” the CM said.
“While countries like China, US, Russia and England were forced to enforce lockdown, we are celebrating festivals – Deepotsav in Ayodhya, Rangotsav in Mathura and Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj – because of better and participatory governance,” the CM said.
He said the previous government did not do much for the poor while the BJP government considered the entire 25 crore population of the state as one family.
LMC officers said they expect daily footfall of 15,000-20,00 from Friday till November 4. Comedy shows by Raju Srivastava and Sunil Pal will be organised on Friday followed by ‘spiritual night’ by Kailash Kher on Saturday and performance by rap star Badshah on Sunday. Folk night by Malini Awasthi on Monday and ‘kavi sammelan’ on Tuesday will follow. On Wednesday, 1 lakh diyas made of cowdung will be lit on Gomti banks.
Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan in his address said, “Earlier, street vendors were made to make rounds of banks to get a loan of just Rs 3,000, but Modi government has disbursed loans worth Rs 10,000 each to more than 8 lakh vendors at zero percent interest.”
Deputy chief minister Dinesh Sharma said festivals of all religions were celebrated peacefully under the BJP government, while riots and violence were common under the previous governments.
Urban development minister Ashutosh Tandon said, “UP is becoming cleaner and greener every day due to Swachh Bharat Mission.”
Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya, Union minister of state for housing and urban affairs Kaushal Kishore and state law minister Brajesh Pathak were also present.
