Lucknow/UNI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that the picture of Uttar Pradesh has changed in the last seven years during the tenure of the double engine government of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the red tape culture prevalent here for decades has today transformed into red carpet culture.

After launching projects of Rs 10 lakh crore through the groundbreaking ceremony (GBC) at Indira Gandhi Pratisthan, the Prime Minister said that in the last seven years, an environment of business, development, and trust has been created in Uttar Pradesh.

"Seven-eight years ago we could not have even imagined that such an environment would be created in UP regarding investment and jobs."

He said, "The news of crime, riots, and snatching kept coming here. During that time, if someone had said that they would make Uttar Pradesh developed, no one would have been ready to listen, but today investment worth lakhs of crores rupees is taking place in UP."

Modi said, "Being an MP from Uttar Pradesh gives me the greatest joy. Work is starting on thousands of projects. These industries that are coming up are going to change the face of UP. For this, I congratulate all the investors who have come here and especially the youth of Uttar Pradesh."

He said in the last seven years, not only crime has reduced in Uttar Pradesh but culture has also developed.

"An environment of business development and trust has been created. The double-engine government has shown that if there is an intention for change then no one can stop it," he said.

The Prime Minister said that exports in Uttar Pradesh have doubled.

"The state is working at the fastest pace in the direction of power generation. Uttar Pradesh is the state which has the highest number of expressways in the country. It has the largest number of international airports.

"The country's first rapid rail is running in Uttar Pradesh. western and eastern Dedicated Rail Corridor also passes through Uttar Pradesh. Due to this, movement in Uttar Pradesh is becoming easier. Transportation has become cheaper," he said.

Photo courtesy: UNI

He said wherever he goes in the world today, there is positivity about India.

"Every country is confident about India's growth economy. Full of trust. There is a lot of talk about Modi's guarantee in the country, but today the whole world is considering India as a guarantee of better returns," he said.

Modi said people avoid new investments when elections are near but India has broken this notion as well.

"Investors around the world have full confidence in India's policies. This belief is visible in Lucknow as well. When I talk about new India, new thinking is also required.

"For decades after the independence of the country, some people thought that the citizens of the country should be made to survive without getting every basic facility," he said.

Talking about the middle class, he said while his government has built four crore houses for the poor, it has also provided help of Rs 60,000 crore to the middle-class families living in cities to build their own homes.

The Prime Minister said, "32 lakh middle-class families living in cities have a rebate on interest. Of these, 1.5 lakh families are from Uttar Pradesh. The middle class has also got the benefit of income tax exemption.

"Before 2014, income tax was levied on income of Rs 2 lakh, but now income of Rs 7 lakh is not taxable. Due to this, thousands of crores of rupees have been saved for the middle class."

He said the aim of the double-engine government is that no beneficiary should be deprived of government schemes. "We have given equal emphasis on ease of living and ease of doing business in Uttar Pradesh. The aim of the double engine government is that no beneficiary should be deprived of any government scheme," he said.

Modi said in earlier governments, people had to stand in long queues to get their benefits.

"They had to run from one window to another. Now our government itself is coming to the doorstep of the poor. Our government will not rest until every beneficiary gets his due," he said.

He said no one had ever thought about our brothers and sisters, who are street vendors in the cities. "Our government brought Prime Minister Swanidhi scheme for these people, till now financial assistance of Rs 10,000 crore has been given to street vendors across the country," he said.

The Prime Minister said Uttar Pradesh has the potential to become India's biggest tourism hub.

"Today every person in the country wants to come to Varanasi and Ayodhya. Every day lakhs of people come to visit these places. Due to this, unprecedented opportunities are being created for small entrepreneurs, airline companies, hotels, and restaurants in Uttar Pradesh," he said.

He said, "I urge all the tourists of the country that when you make a budget for going on a tour, keep 10 percent of it for buying something from the place you are going."