Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath exhorted the Mahila Mangal Dal members to make the people aware of literacy, cleanliness and drug addiction issues in their respective areas and termed their energy, strength and creativity as a great help and contribution towards societal progress.

Yogi distributed sports equipment to more than 67,000 youth and Mahila Mangal Dal parties at a programme held at Lok Bhawan.

Sports equipment were given to 11 Mahila Mangal Dal by the chief minister while the rest were presented by local MLAs at programmes held in several districts.

Interacting with members of Youth Mangal Dal formed in different villages of Gorakhpur, Aligarh, Firozabad, Banda and Gonda, the chief minister said that everyone had energy but critical was the approach and attitude.

“If our attitude is positive, we will prove useful for our home, city, state and country. Contrarily,  if feelings are negative, we will be a burden to ourselves,” he said.

“Youth are a symbol of the nation’s power. He is a citizen of today, not yesterday and one should use his positive and meaningful approach in the interest of the country and society,” the chief minister said.

Yogi said that there were more than two lakh revenue villages in UP and urged the Youth Welfare department to work towards formation of Youth and Women Mangal Dals in these villages.

“Yuva and Mahila Mangal Dals remained neglected for decades. But this government has not only reactivated this important organisation, but is also building gyms in villages, developing playgrounds and providing resources from the essentials,” Yogi said.

The chief minister also referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Khelo India’ campaign for the development of sports. He said that sports developed a team spirit which worked in every sphere of life.

He assured the youth and Mangal Dal’s of providing necessary environment for development.

Earlier, Minister of State for Youth Welfare, Sports and Panchayati Raj (Independent Charge), Upendra Tiwari said that the present regime was making planned efforts for multi-faceted development of the youth.

UP Youth Welfare Council Vice-President Dr. Vibhrat Chandra Kaushik termed the chief minister’s work in the interest of youth as historical.

Additional Chief Secretary (Youth Welfare) Dimple Verma also gave a brief introduction of departmental activities at the function.