Lucknow, Jun 12: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday said while Lord Ram returned to Ayodhya in the ‘Pushpak Viman’, the ancient city had to wait for thousands of years to regain air connectivity.
Addressing an event in Lucknow organised for the flag-off of electric buses for Gautam Buddh Nagar and inauguration of the Noida Electric Bus Depot, Adityanath said the situation had now changed, with an airport dedicated to Maharishi Valmiki becoming operational in Ayodhya.
“Perhaps Lord Shri Ram came to Ayodhya in the Pushpak Viman, but after that the residents of Ayodhya did not get air services for thousands of years. Ayodhya remained neglected for thousands of years and even after Independence it continued to face neglect,” he said.
He said the “new Uttar Pradesh of New India” is witnessing transformation, with the state emerging as a destination for world-class road and air connectivity.
Recalling the situation before 2017, Adityanath said Uttar Pradesh was grappling with poor road infrastructure, issues of law and order and security concerns.
“Before 2017, talking about investment in Uttar Pradesh was like a distant dream,” he said.
Adityanath said the “double-engine government” had significantly expanded infrastructure over the last nine years and the state now had a road network of around four lakh kilometres.
Referring to global challenges such as climate change, pollution and conflicts, he said the world was facing the consequences of environmental degradation and geopolitical tensions.
He also stressed the need for sustainable development to address these issues. (PTI)
