'One district, one mafia' era in UP replaced by ODOP: Yogi

CM says Efforts underway to reduce travel time between Saharanpur and Delhi to 1 hr and 45 mins

- HT Correspondent

Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday took pot shots at the previous Samajwadi Party government, accusing it of fostering a culture of lawlessness with its "one district, one mafia" policy, which he said has now been replaced by the ODOP initiative.

He was addressing an event as part of the CM Yuva Udyami Vikas Abhiyan in Saharanpur, where loans were distributed to 365 entrepreneurs.

"Every district had a mafia under the previous government. We replaced that with 'One District, One Product' so that artisans and local products get global recognition and create jobs," the chief minister said.

Without naming Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Adityanath criticized the past leadership, remarking: "If the leader of a state wakes up at noon, gets ready by 2pm, and then goes on picnics with his friends, when will he work? The public suffered while his associates looted the state."

Adityanath highlighted his government's focus on connectivity, stating that efforts are underway to reduce travel time between Saharanpur and Delhi to just 1 hour and 45 minutes. He also noted the success of the ODOP scheme, particularly Saharanpur's renowned wood carving industry, which now exports goods worth Rs 1,000 crore globally.Criticizing previous governments for neglecting artisans, he said, "Earlier, these craftsmen existed, but the old governments were too busy turning them into vote banks. They never cared about providing them with better designs, technology, packaging, or export facilities."