Damage Control? UP CM Yogi Holds Meetings With MPs, MLAs And Officials To Address Grievances of 'Lack Of Coordination'

In response to grievances about a lack of cooperation by local authorities, Uttar Pradesh (UP) Chief Minister (CM) Yogi Adityanath convened a meeting on Sunday (27 July) with MPs, MLAs, and relevant officials from Kanpur, Chitrakoot, and Jhansi divisions. This meeting was held prior to greenlighting development projects and schemes in these areas.

The concept of a "mandalwar samvad" or divisional dialogue, as it is known, revolves around engaging in discussions with public representatives prior to the development of projects and plans within their constituencies, according to sources cited in the Indian Express report.

An official has confirmed that comparable meetings at the division level will continue to take place in the future.

The CM's move is perceived as an effort to reconcile alleged conflicts between officials and local public representatives ahead of the imminent panchayat elections and the 2027 Assembly elections in the state.

During the conference at the CM's official residence in Lucknow, various projects were approved. These included projects valued at Rs 4,901 crore for the Jhansi division, projects amounting to Rs 3,875 crore for the Chitrakoot division, and projects totaling Rs 10,914 crore for six districts of the Kanpur division.

Authorities stated that community representatives were provided the chance to suggest plans and initiatives for their regions, which were then discussed in terms of their feasibility and other related matters.

The initiatives suggested by the MLAs encompassed road connectivity, irrigation systems, logistical hubs, and access roads leading to religious sites.

“During the meeting, the CM asked the officials to take the opinion of the public representatives before finalising the projects for their constituencies and areas. While he asked the public representatives to monitor the implementation of government schemes in their areas and ensure their proper implementation,” a senior official was quoted as saying.

“He took feedback from the MLAs and MPs about the ground situation, administrative coordination and public expectations in their constituencies,” he added.

The CM also instructed the officials to make certain that the names of local representatives are inscribed on the foundation or inauguration stones of developmental projects, he stated.

Previously, numerous public officials, such as ministers, have expressed their worries about the lack of collaboration from administrative staff in executing projects or addressing public complaints in their respective constituencies.

“Officials were given instructions by the CM, keeping in view the issues raised by the public representatives. It is a healthy exercise as we as public representatives approach officials with the public issues so that things change on the ground,” an MLA, who attended the meeting, was quoted as saying.