GB Pant’s dedication to nation continues to inspire us: CM Yogi

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday paid tribute to Govind Ballabh Pant (1887-1961), a revered freedom fighter and the first chief minister of the state, by garlanding his statue on the occasion of his death anniversary here.

Speaking at an event organised at Pant Park in Gorakhpur University, the CM highlighted the Bharat Ratna awardee’s significant contributions as a member of the Constituent Assembly that drafted the Constitution.

Yogi praised Pant as a towering hero of India’s freedom struggle, who made an indelible impact as a distinguished lawyer, a visionary administrator and a key architect of modern governance in Uttar Pradesh.

“Pandit Govind Ballabh Pant was not just a freedom fighter, he was a statesman who laid the foundation of a strong and progressive Uttar Pradesh. His dedication to the nation continues to inspire us,” he added.

Emphasising Pt Pant’s crucial role in shaping Uttar Pradesh post-independence, Yogi highlighted the significant administrative and economic reforms initiated by Pant during his tenure as the CM till 1954. Later, as the Union home minister, he was instrumental in establishing Hindi as one of the official languages of India.

Yogi also recalled that Pant laid the foundation stone of Gorakhpur University. Remembering his legacy, the CM said, “Pant left this world on March 7, 1961. On his death anniversary today, I bow to his memory and offer my humble tribute on behalf of the state’s people.”

“His vision for education and development continues to guide us. On his death anniversary, we honour his legacy and reaffirm our commitment to his ideals,” he added.

BJP MP Ravi Kishan, mayor Dr Manglesh Srivastava, BJP state vice president Dharmendra Singh, MLAs Bipin Singh and Mahendra Pal Singh, and Gorakhpur University vice chancellor prof Poonam Tandon also paid tribute to Pant on the occasion.

No laxity in addressing people’s grievances: CM to officials

The CM heard the grievances of around 200 people during a Janata Darshan event on Gorakhnath temple premises on second day in a row on Friday. He assured them that addressing public grievances remains the government’s top priority and pledged that every genuine concern would be resolved with full sincerity.

The CM instructed officials to act promptly on public grievances, emphasising that serving humanity is akin to serving God. Yogi asked officers to always stand by those in need. The CM also issued a strict warning to officials, saying that any delay or negligence in addressing public grievances would not be tolerated.

‘Hold campus selection programmes for students’

On Thursday evening, CM Yogi conducted an inspection of Ramapati Yadav Government Polytechnic. He directed officials to organise campus selection and career counselling programmes for students. Stressing the importance of language proficiency, he urged the faculty to incorporate English instruction to help students overcome language barriers.