📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Ministry of Home Affairs
Politics
Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi declares state free of encephalitis and mafia
✍️ The Times of India
🗓 29 Aug 2026, 06:38 PM
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Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said Uttar Pradesh has eliminated encephalitis and broken organized crime networks, while opposition leader Akhilesh Yadav warned of remaining gaps.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced that the state has succeeded in eradicating the viral encephalitis that once plagued its districts and in dismantling the organised crime syndicates that were labelled as a "mafia". The declaration was made during a press briefing where the CM highlighted recent health data and law‑enforcement actions as evidence of the progress.
Opposition leader Akhilesh Yadav, speaking at a separate event, acknowledged the improvements but cautioned that gaps remain in both health infrastructure and policing. He urged the government to sustain the momentum and address lingering challenges in remote areas.
The statements come as Uttar Pradesh seeks to shed the reputation of being a "Bimaru" state—a term used for regions with high disease burden and crime rates. Officials said vaccination drives, early‑diagnosis camps and intensified police raids contributed to the reported decline.
Opposition leader Akhilesh Yadav, speaking at a separate event, acknowledged the improvements but cautioned that gaps remain in both health infrastructure and policing. He urged the government to sustain the momentum and address lingering challenges in remote areas.
The statements come as Uttar Pradesh seeks to shed the reputation of being a "Bimaru" state—a term used for regions with high disease burden and crime rates. Officials said vaccination drives, early‑diagnosis camps and intensified police raids contributed to the reported decline.