Lucknow: More than 50,000 street vendors across Uttar Pradesh will be able to celebrate Diwali more happily with their financial condition getting a boost at the seven-day Vikas Mahotsav, said UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath while inaugurating the event at Jhulelal Vatika on Thursday.

Over 1,500 vendors selling food, clothes and basic utilities of daily life have been provided space at the venue by the organiser – Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC).  The event started with ‘Gomti Arti’ by the CM followed by a laser show depicting the development work being done by the government. Later, the ‘Tale of Ramayan’ was also narrated through the colourful laser show, leaving over 10,000 people who visited the mela.

LMC officers said that they expect daily footfall of 15-20,00 from Friday till November 4. Citizens will be able to enjoy comedy shows by Raju Srivastava and Sunil Pal on October 29 followed by “spiritual night” by Kailash Kher on Saturday and performance by rap star Badshah on Sunday and folk night on Monday by Malini Awasthi. ‘Kavi Sammelan’ will be held on Tuesday and one lakh diyas made of cowdung will be lit on Gomti Banks on Wednesday.

“Similarly, mohatsavs are being organised at 200 nagar palikas and 17 municipal corporations across the state to provide an opportunity to our street vendors – who faced innumerable difficulties during the pandemic – to increase their income. The effort is in accordance with the PM’s vision of ‘Vocal for Local’,” said the CM. He also felicitated 1,200 street vendors and sanitary workers for their work during the pandemic and distributing stalls, canopies and track suits.

The CM said that while countries like China, America, Russia and England are forced to enforce lockdown, we are celebrating festivals –  Deepotsav in Ayodhya, Rangotsav in Mathura and Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj – because of better and participatory governance.

He said the previous government did not do much for the poor, while the BJP government considers the entire 25 crore population of the state as one family.

Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan in his address said, “Earlier, street vendors were made to make rounds of banks to get a loan of just Rs 3,000, but Modi government has disbursed  loans worth Rs 10,000 each to more than 8 lakh vendors at zero percent interest in the country”

Deputy chief minister Dinesh Sharma said that today festivals of all religions are celebrated peacefully, while riots and violence was a norm under previous governments.

Urban Development minister Ashutosh Tandon said, “UP is becoming cleaner and greener every day due to swachh bharat mission.”

Prominent among others present on the occasion included deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, union minister of state for housing and urban affairs Kaushal Kishore, state law minister Brijesh Pathak.