Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday directed officials to extend the celebrations on Uttar Pradesh Foundation Day, also known as UP Diwas, beyond the state and take it to regions with
a large population of migrants from Uttar Pradesh, including Delhi and Maharashtra. UP Diwas will be observed from January 24 to 26.
Reviewing the preparations at a meeting attended by Chief Secretary Shashi Prakash Goyal, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Sanjay Prasad and Director General of Police Rajeev Krishna, CM Adityanath also suggested organising celebrations in countries with a significant population of Uttar Pradesh expatriates.
The Chief Minister instructed that Governors, Chief Ministers, Deputy Chief Ministers, Union Ministers and prominent personalities with roots in Uttar Pradesh be invited to UP Diwas events held outside the state. He also said that three to five individuals from Uttar Pradesh living in other states, who have made notable contributions in fields such as entrepreneurship, education, innovation, art, science and administration, should be honoured, The Indian Express reported.
It was decided that the main UP Diwas celebrations this year would be held at the newly inaugurated Rashtriya Prerna Sthal in Lucknow. The Prerna Sthal, featuring statues of Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, Deen Dayal Upadhyay and Atal Bihari Vajpayee, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 25. Events will also be organised at Noida Shilpgram in Gautam Buddh Nagar and at district headquarters across the state.
The CM directed that cultural and theatrical programmes linked to national icons such as Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Bhagwan Birsa Munda be included. He also called for grand celebrations of Youth Day on January 12, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Jayanti on January 23, National Tourism Day and Voters’ Awareness Day on January 25, and Republic Day on January 26.
Competitions in singing, music, dance and theatre will be held at block, municipal and district levels, with selected participants performing at the state-level programme in Lucknow. CM Adityanath also asked officials to felicitate achievers from various sectors and ensure participation of local artists and cultural institutions, and directed Civil Defence to conduct mock drills across districts on January 23.
