UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath waived off farmer loans in his first cabinet meeting.
Highlights
- The first such offsite meeting could take place in Allahabad
- Yogi Adityanath has issued orders to begin preparations for Kumbh Mela
- Yogi Adityanath chaired his first cabinet meeting on Tuesday
Yogi Adityanath, who has broken with convention on a number of occasions in his 18 days as Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, is reportedly contemplating another unusual move. The Uttar Pradesh government could hold its next cabinet meeting outside state capital Lucknow, a practice that could continue. The first such offsite meeting could be held in Allahabad.
The idea is to bring governance to the doorstep of people and assess local issues closely, news agency Press Trust of India reported, quoting a senior minister as stating cautiously that "the idea is still in its infancy... just a thought. Nothing final."
Cabinet meetings can be held anywhere, it is not mandatory to hold them in Lucknow, Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma told NDTV.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath held his first cabinet meeting in Lucknow on Tuesday, a full fortnight after he took oath on March 19. Chief Ministers usually call a cabinet meeting immediately after they are sworn in, but Yogi Adityanath waited till he was able to announce a loan waiver for the state's small and marginal farmers. In doing so, he honoured a promise made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his campaign for the UP elections. PM Modi had said the BJP would announce a farm loan waiver in its very first cabinet meeting if it came to power.
Since he took over, the 44-year-old chief minister has also kept officials on their toes with unscheduled inspections of government buildings and police stations, stressing on a quick improvement in work culture and law and order in the state.
The idea of holding the next cabinet meeting in Allahabad could be linked to the Ardh Kumbh Mela, a massive event to be organised in the city in 2019. The Chief Minister has already issued orders to officials of various departments to begin preparations for the Mela.
Yogi Adityanath has ordered that the focus should be on ensuring that the Ganga river is pollution free, noting that 12 crore pilgrims will visit Allahabad for the event to bathe in the Sangam, the point where the Ganga and Yamuna rivers meet.