LUCKNOW: Prime minister Narendra Modi on Friday appreciated the measures taken by the UP government in battling the second wave of Covid pandemic.
The PM made the statement during his meeting with UP CM Yogi Adityanath on Friday.
Yogi later called on BJP national president JP Nadda, in what was largely seen as a feedback-taking exercise ahead of UP assembly elections due next year.
Yogi’s meeting with PM Modi and Nadda came a day after he met home minister Amit Shah.
Modi’s appreciation of the UP government comes days after BJP national general secretary (organisation) BL Santhosh and party vice-president Radha Mohan Singh endorsed various steps taken by the state government vis-à-vis Covid management in the state.
The admiration of Yogi government by Santhosh, who is from RSS, and now by Modi being viewed with much curiosity in the political corridors.
Yogi later tweeted that his meeting with the PM was purely a courtesy call.
His statement brought the curtains down on speculations over BJP top leadership asserting itself for change in the UP government.
During the meeting, which lasted for over an hour, CM Yogi expressed his gratitude towards the Centre’s help during the peak of the crisis.
He specially thanked the Centre’s for sending stocks of oxygen with the help of trains and aircraft.
Yogi told the PM that the funds provided under the PM care fund will help the state government in setting up oxygen plants in all districts of the state.
The CM said that the Centre’s decision to provide vaccines to the state will help in boosting the vaccination drive.
As a matter of fact, UP BJP’s organisational machinery, too, has gone into an overdrive to help the state government in ramping up the vaccination process.
Yogi also discussed the development works undertaken by his government and the projects which would be getting completed in the near future.
Yogi told the PM about how his government tried to strike a balance between saving lives and livelihood by imposing partial corona curfew, instead of a complete lockdown.
Yogi informed the PM about the state government decision to swiftly implement PM Gareeb Kalyan Anna Yojana — entailing free grains up to 5 Kgs to the needy – till Diwali later this year.
He said that the state government was specially committed for the welfare of farmers by implementing various decisions of the Centre’s including providing 140% subsidy on DAP fertilizer and higher minimum support price for Kharif crops.