Lucknow, Sep 21 (IANS) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday hailed the next-generation reforms in the Goods and Services (GST) Tax and thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for giving a historic Diwali gift to the nation, including UP. He lauded the move to forgo tax bracket on basic essentials like educational materials, milk, curd, ghee, cheese and other food products, while imposing higher taxes on drugs and wasteful spending.  Speaking at the launch of the NaMo Yuva Run for drug-free India from his residence, CM Yogi said the GST reforms will ease inflation for the poor, make education more affordable, and strengthen citizens’ purchasing power, thereby boosting markets, creating jobs, and opening new avenues of progress.

He stressed that the reform ensures welfare for traders, relief for the poor, and benefits for all consumers, and urged that every resident of Uttar Pradesh be made aware of its significance. Noting that the BJP was observing 'Seva Pakhwada' nationwide from September 17 to October 2, he said that the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha workers are adding a transformative dimension to Seva Pakhwada through blood donation drives, cleanliness campaigns, and health camps, linking the initiative with the vision of Viksit India. Speaking about the 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav', CM Yogi recalled the Prime Minister’s call to pledge towards building a Developed India by adopting five vows: removing the vestiges of slavery, respecting heritage, honouring soldiers and uniformed forces, promoting social equality, and fulfilling civic duties with honesty.

"These vows will guide the nation towards development. Inspired by this vision, Uttar Pradesh has launched the 'Viksit India – Viksit Uttar Pradesh' campaign, receiving overwhelming support from youth, farmers, workers, entrepreneurs, and intellectuals," he remarked. Highlighting self-reliance as the foundation of progress, the Chief Minister said that a self-reliant society emerges from a healthy society, and events like the NaMo Marathon provide new direction and energy to youth. Since 2014, Prime Minister Modi has accelerated several initiatives for health and youth empowerment. Further, addressing the youth, he said that the youth power represents boundless energy -- when directed positively, it can transform the nation. When diverted towards drugs, it leads only to ruin. He noted that the NaMo Marathon serves as a strong call for the youth to stay away from addiction.