Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], August 25 (ANI): Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took selfies with youth who received appointment letters at an event in the state on Tuesday.

At the request of the youth present at the event, the Chief Minister went among them and posed for selfies after the appointment letter distribution programme concluded.

The interaction came after CM Yogi addressed the appointment letter distribution event, where he said that his government would provide government jobs to one lakh youth in the next six months.

CM Yogi said his government has provided more than 9.30 lakh government jobs in Uttar Pradesh over the past nine-and-a-half years, claiming that not a single appointment has been questioned.

'I want to assure the youth across the state that within the next six months--please note, within the next six months we are going to issue government appointment letters to 100,000 young people, distributed in batches every week,' he said.

The Chief Minister also attacked the recruitment system that existed before 2017, alleging that recruitment processes were affected by corruption and political interference.

'From day one, we resolved to break the pre-2017 pattern where recruitment advertisements were issued, only for the 'uncle-nephew duo' and the entire 'Mahabharata-style clan' to fan out across the state for extortion,' he said.

He said young people should be selected on merit and without discrimination, adding that the entire state benefits when talented youth are given opportunities.

'We must bear in mind that when we select the most deserving candidates without discrimination, the entire state reaps the benefits. The state harnesses their talent and energy--a key achievement of the 'double-engine' Bharatiya Janata Party government over the past nine to nine-and-a-half years,' Yogi said.

The Chief Minister also said that the government was following a zero-tolerance policy towards crime and would act against those involved in cheating and other forms of malpractice.

'We will ensure their kingpins face severe consequences,' he said.

CM Yogi further said that Uttar Pradesh has sufficient sugar stocks and rejected claims of a sugar shortage in the state.

He said the state currently has around 28 lakh tonnes of sugar in stock against a monthly consumption of around four lakh tonnes and added that sugar mills would restart operations from October 15.

The Chief Minister also highlighted employment opportunities for youth abroad, saying countries such as Japan, Germany and Israel were showing interest in hiring young people from Uttar Pradesh.

He said around 5,000 youth from the state had been sent to Israel and were earning around Rs 1.5 lakh per month, along with free food and accommodation.

Yogi also contrasted the current situation with Uttar Pradesh's condition before 2017, alleging that youth faced unemployment and migration while farmers and traders faced difficulties.

The appointment letter distribution programme was followed by the Chief Minister's interaction with the newly appointed youth, who requested him to join them for selfies. (ANI)