Gorakhpur: A voluntary cleanliness drive undertaken by two young men at the historic pond of Maa Tarakulha Devi Dham in Gorakhpur has drawn the attention of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, raising hopes of a major facelift for the religious site.
Anupam Gupta and Karan Nishad, residents of Bhaupur village near Banjari Devi in Chauri Chaura, launched the initiative on September 5. Since then, the two have been undertaking daily voluntary labour to remove water hyacinth and accumulated waste from the pond, which had long been causing inconvenience to devotees visiting the temple.
Their efforts earned appreciation from devotees and the temple trust. The initiative subsequently reached the state government, leading to a meeting with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday, September 16.
According to the report, Chauri Chaura Sub-Divisional Magistrate contacted the two youths by phone around 9 am and informed them that the Chief Minister wanted to meet them. They were subsequently taken to the Annexy Bhawan, where they met Yogi Adityanath at around 10 am.
The Chief Minister interacted with both youths, posed for photographs and blessed them. He praised their dedication, voluntary service and commitment to cleaning the historic pond, describing their contribution as exemplary.
Yogi Adityanath also assured them that the ancient pond situated in front of Maa Tarakulha Devi Dham would be beautified and permanently restored soon. The assurance has raised expectations of a renewed development initiative for the temple complex and its surroundings.
CM Yogi Offers Financial Assistance to Families of Deceased Advocates
During his Gorakhpur visit on Wednesday, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also visited the families of two advocates, Alok Kumar Asthana and Sanjay Singh, who died after being struck by lightning on September 6.
After inaugurating the Kalyan Mandapam, the Chief Minister reached the residence of late advocate Alok Kumar Asthana in Raptinagar Extension Colony. He paid floral tribute to the deceased advocate’s portrait and expressed condolences to the bereaved family.
Yogi Adityanath handed over a cheque of ₹10 lakh from the Chief Minister’s Discretionary Fund and ₹5 lakh from the Advocates’ Welfare Fund, providing financial assistance totalling ₹15 lakh.
He later visited the residence of late advocate Sanjay Singh in Shakti Nagar, where he paid tribute and handed over a similar financial assistance package of ₹15 lakh to the family.
The Chief Minister assured both families that he stood with them during their difficult time. Earlier, on his instructions, the families had also received ₹4 lakh each from the Disaster Relief Fund.
CM Inspects ₹495.24-Crore Road Widening Project
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also inspected the ongoing road widening project from HN Singh Chowk through Hadhwa Phatak to Jagesar Pasi Chauraha in Gorakhpur.
The project, being executed at an estimated cost of ₹495.24 crore, involves the construction of a two-lane/four-lane road. The Chief Minister inspected the work at two locations—near Smart Bazaar and beyond Hadhwa Phatak.
During the inspection, he reviewed the layout model presented by the Public Works Department and sought details of the road’s length, width and construction progress.
Expressing displeasure over the pace of work, Yogi Adityanath reprimanded officials of the Public Works Department, Jal Nigam and Setu Nigam and directed them to accelerate construction.
The Public Works Department is responsible for road construction, while Jal Nigam is laying the sewer line. Setu Nigam is undertaking the construction of the overbridge at Hadhwa Phatak.
The Chief Minister directed all three departments to ensure that the road becomes fit for traffic before the upcoming festivals. He stressed that delays and negligence would not be tolerated.
He also instructed officials to ensure that construction work does not disrupt traffic movement and directed them to establish a head-to-tail system for proper drainage.
The inspection concluded with instructions to improve coordination among the departments and expedite the project so that commuters can benefit from the upgraded road infrastructure ahead of the festive season.
