Gorakhpur, Feb 22 (UNI) Union Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday described Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath as the dynamic Chief Minister in the true sense of the term.
Addressing the inauguration ceremony of the new Income Tax Department building during her maiden visit to Gorakhpur while emphasising the significance of the word dynamic in the context of Chief Minister Yogi, the Finance Minister said, “Please correct my number if it’s wrong. There are 75 districts in the state and there are 52 weeks in a year. Yogi visits each of Uttar Pradesh’s 75 districts at least once, if not twice, within 52 weeks.”
Highlighting the Chief Minister’s tireless efforts in traversing the state like a well-oiled engine, tirelessly working in every district, she further underscored the futility of seeking appointments with him in Lucknow, suggesting instead to meet him wherever he may be during that week.
Regarding her first visit to Gorakhpur, Sitharaman said, “First impression is the best impression and I found Gorakhpur more beautiful than I had ever imagined.”
She said that the government under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi guarantees the inauguration of all the projects whose foundation stone is laid. She mentioned four major projects of eastern Uttar Pradesh to substantiate her point.
The Finance Minister elaborated that the foundation stone of the fertilizer factory and AIIMS of Gorakhpur was laid in July 2016 and both were inaugurated in December 2021. “Similarly, The foundation stone of the Regional Center of the Indian Council of Medical Research in Gorakhpur was laid in 2018 and it will be inaugurated in December 2021,” she said.
She said, “The Saryu Canal Project, which was pending since 1978, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Modi in December 2021. This project is providing irrigation facilities to 29 lakh farmers living in 6200 villages of 9 districts of Eastern Uttar Pradesh. With the commencement of this project, irrigation of 14 lakh hectares of land has become easier.”
Discussing the achievements of the Income Tax Department, Sitharaman said that the gross direct tax collection has increased by 16.77 percent. “Along with this, a tax refund of Rs 2.48 lakh crore has also been made from April last year to January 10. Besides, owing to the faceless system, there has been a 60 percent reduction in complaints,” she said.
She said that the IT department makes 1.66 crore assessments every day while the process of 3.43 crore income tax returns is completed in a week.
