Yogi Adityanath Highlights Creation Of 117 New Urban Bodies, 17 Smart Cities In UP (VIDEO)

Lucknow: On Thursday, during the fourth day of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly’s Monsoon Session, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath presented a detailed account of urban and rural infrastructure gains achieved in his eight-and-a-half-year tenure (2017–2025). He said that under the opposition’s rule from 1947 to 2017, development was unorganized, basic amenities were lacking, and urban growth was uneven.

Highlighting his government’s initiatives, CM Yogi noted the creation of 117 new urban local bodies, the expansion of 123 others, the development of 17 smart cities, and plans to upgrade district headquarters municipalities to smart-city standards.

The Chief Minister said that to promote planned urbanization on the lines of the National Capital Region, the State Capital Region (SCR) has been formed, including six districts along with Lucknow. The Varanasi–Vindhya Economic Regional Development Plan is also in its final stage.

These initiatives aim to promote economic growth and improve basic facilities in urban areas. Yogi emphasized that his government has not only organized urbanization but also made it a base for economic progress.

To strengthen urban infrastructure, the government has taken significant steps under the AMRUT scheme. The Chief Minister said that under AMRUT 1.0, 9.21 lakh water connections and 8.77 lakh sewer connections were provided through 328 projects worth Rs 10,273 crore, along with the development of 423 acres of green space.

Under AMRUT 2.0, work is underway on 539 projects worth Rs 15,629 crore, proposing 43 lakh water connections and 5 lakh sewer connections. Yogi also mentioned that the state has achieved the target of Open Defecation Free (ODF) status and that urban development is being further accelerated under the Aspirational Towns Program and the CM Nagar Srijan Yojana.

In rural development too, the Yogi government has made remarkable progress. The Chief Minister said that from 1947 to 2017, rural areas suffered from a severe lack of basic facilities such as housing, electricity, roads, and drinking water. From 2017 to 2025, his government has provided permanent houses to more than 56.80 lakh families, with the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and the Mukhyamantri Awas Yojana playing a key role. Additionally, 235 crore man-days were generated under MGNREGA, with women’s participation exceeding 42%. To promote employment and livelihood, more than 98 lakh families have joined self-help groups (SHGs), and 2,510 fair price shops are being run by SHGs.

Yogi also emphasized the development of rural infrastructure. He said that 165 block headquarters have been connected with two-lane roads and 1,385 kilometres of roads have been built. Additionally, 25,000 kilometres of rural roads have been widened and strengthened. Uttar Pradesh ranks first in the country in the construction of Amrit Sarovars in rural areas. A gram secretariat facility has been provided in every gram panchayat, and an ‘Aapda Mitra’ has been deployed in every village to ensure prompt local-level action in disaster management.