UP’s progress rooted in Pant’s vision: CM

Lucknow: Chief minister Yogi Adityanath paid tribute to UP's first CM and former Union home minister Govind Ballabh Pant on his death anniversary on Saturday, crediting him with laying the foundation for UP's development, because of which the state has now become the growth engine of a new and developed India.Yogi recalled that as the first CM of UP, Pant laid the foundation of development that helped the state become a major pillar of India's economy. The CM offered floral tributes at Pant's statue in the Lok Bhavan and described him as a "great son of Mother India, a renowned freedom fighter, an accomplished lawyer, and an able administrator".Calling Pant a source of inspiration for everyone who worked to reform and develop UP, Yogi said: "Pant was born in present-day Uttarakhand, which at that time was part of the United Provinces. Responding to the call of the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, he left his legal practice and joined the freedom struggle. When the country was under British rule, he was chosen as the premier of the United Provinces in 1937.""As a Union home minister, Pant rendered invaluable services to the nation. He also played an important role in promoting and expanding the use of Hindi as the official language. In recognition of his invaluable contribution to India's freedom and his distinguished service to UP and the nation, he was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1957. The works of Pant continue to guide us even today," he added.