Barabanki (UP), February 10 Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Tuesday that Uttar Pradesh is no longer a "BIMARU" state, but a strong economy, among the top three in the country.
The acronym "BIMARU" (which means sick in Hindi) was coined by demographer Ashish Bose in the mid-1980s, formed from the first letters of the names of some of the country's then poorest states, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh.
"Uttar Pradesh is among the three largest economies in the country. It is no longer a "BIMARU" state, but has emerged as a strong economic state," Adityanath said.
The chief minister attended the Dasham Shri Hanuman Virat Mahayagna and Shri Ramarcha Pujan at the Shri Ram Janaki Temple in Dulhadepur Kuti (Barabanki) on Tuesday.
The rituals were organized in memory of Hind Kesari, the late Mahant Baba Harishankar Das Ji Maharaj, the Uttar Pradesh government said in a statement.
Barabanki district is becoming part of the 84 Kosi Parikrama, Adityanath said, and added that with the construction of the Parikrama route, its development will increase manifold, creating new employment opportunities.
He said, "Barabanki district is also part of the State Capital Region (SCR). Major development programs are being implemented here. A large industrial zone is going to be built near Ramsanehi Ghat, employing the youth of Barabanki," he said.
"The district has a glorious past dating back to ancient times. If the past is glorious, the present will be as well, and the double-engine government is working to transform the future into an even more glorious moment," he said.
He said before 2017, "Every third or fourth day, there were curfews and riots in some district or city of the state. If a family member went out and didn't return home by sunset, the family would be worried. The land of the poor was encroached upon."
The chief minister further said that with the change of government, all the anarchy in Uttar Pradesh disappeared.
Referring to the Kumbh Mela and the Magh Mela, he said that 12 crore devotees came to the 2013 Kumbh Mela, and so far, 21 crore devotees have taken a holy dip in this year's Magh Mela. Previously, lakhs of devotees visited Ayodhya and Varanasi, but now that number has reached crores, he added.
In 2024-25, Adityanath said, 122 crore devotees visited the religious sites of Uttar Pradesh, and 66 crore people attended the Maha Kumbh Mela in 2025, a number that demonstrates security and comfort in the state.
"If daughters are safe, society will feel secure. If merchants are safe, they will serve as a bridge between north and south," Adityanath said.
"Earlier, the state lacked the funds to pay salaries, but today, this money is being used for the benefit of all sections of society," he added.
Students are being given scholarships without discrimination, and good institutions are opening in Uttar Pradesh, and every pilgrimage site is being developed, Adityanath said.
He said the government is operating under a zero-tolerance policy, and those who flout the law will be dealt a blow that will be remembered for seven generations.
