Lucknow, Sept. 8 -- Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday said recruitment has become transparent and merit-based under his government unlike in previous regimes where "so much money was taken that they could not even look into the eyes of candidates." At a programme held in Lok Bhavan, he personally distributed appointment letters to 11 instructors, while a total of 1,510 candidates received letters through the Uttar Pradesh Subordinate Services Selection Commission (UPSSSC). Similar ceremonies were organized across districts. He congratulated the newly appointed instructors and their families, saying that jobs in Uttar Pradesh are now earned through honesty and hard work. Highlighting the government's employment drive, he said in the last eight years, 8.5 lakh youths have been provided government jobs, with recruitment processes completed regularly through commissions and boards. "Today there is a shower of jobs in UP, both in government and private sectors. The youth selected through fair recruitment are now serving the state with honesty and energy," he added. He contrasted today's Uttar Pradesh with the situation before 2017, when the state was labelled a "Bimaru" (sick) state. "Earlier, youths faced an identity crisis outside the state and UP was seen as a barrier to the nation's development. But in the last eight years, we have transformed UP into the country's number two economy and the growth engine of India," Yogi said. He credited this turnaround to collective efforts of 25 crore people, public representatives, government officers, and the double-engine government. "Today, UP is counted among the fastest growing states with the highest development rate in the country. Where the state was once in the bottom five, it now ranks among the top three in most schemes and is number one in many," he said. Asserting that his government has given the youth of UP a clean platform, he said selected instructors did not need any recommendation. "Whoever prepared was selected, and those who did not prepare will have a chance in the future. Now there is a flood of jobs," he said. "The commitment for a riot-free, mafia-free, goonda-free UP has invited massive investment. In eight years, more than 60 lakh people got jobs. Among them, 14 lakh youth were trained through the UP-skill development mission," the CM said. The chief minister said that recently in Lucknow he had the opportunity to participate in a vocational education and skill development program, where ITI graduates were selected through the UP Skill Mission. Companies offered them salaries of Rs 1 lakh, Rs 75,000, and Rs 50,000, and no candidate was selected below Rs 35,000. In the past eight years alone, 60 new ITIs have been established by the government, while the private sector has added more than 3,000. "Four hundred years ago, UP was one of the most prosperous states. It faced foreign invasions and colonial loot. Even when India became independent in 1947, UP was the largest economy. Until 1960, UP contributed 14% to India's economy. After 1960, the decline began. By 2016, UP's contribution had dropped to around 8%. The misdeeds of past governments dragged UP from number one to number eight. When policies are made for selfish gains, vote banks, and family interests, they inevitably lead to misery," the CM said. He further said eight years ago, festivals brought fear instead of enthusiasm. "Today is Purnima, and tonight there will be a lunar eclipse. Recently, Ganpati Mahotsav and Barawafat were marked, but there was no riot or hooliganism. In Ayodhya, Kashi, Prayagraj, and Garhmukteshwar, lakhs of people are bathing. Everyone is going according to their faith. Everyone has freedom to celebrate, and the government is providing the best of facilities," he said. Interacting with the new appointees , the CM said, "There should be no hesitation in learning and teaching others. Constant learning will make you an expert." The CM instructed the vocational education, entrepreneurship, and skill development departments to not hold job fairs alone and involve MSME and labour-employment departments as well. The joint efforts can provide employment to lakhs of youth. "Today, UP has 96 lakh MSME units. With better law and order, investments came in. Proposals worth more than Rs 15 lakh crore materialized, providing jobs and employment to over 60 lakh youth," he said. The CM said that government jobs have also gained momentum. The PET exam is being conducted, with 25 lakh youth participating in it. If we connect the scale of 25 lakh with skill, then every hand will have work, and no one will remain unemployed, he said. During the event, minister of state (independent charge) Kapil Dev Agarwal, MLA Dr Neeraj Bora, MLC Mukesh Sharma, Lalji Prasad Nirmal, Ramchandra Pradhan, Eng. Avneesh Singh, acting chief secretary Deepak Kumar, principal secretary Hariom, and others were present. Appointment letters were handed over personally by the CM to Pallavi (Rae Bareli), Smriti Dubey (Unnao), Mamta Verma (Mirzapur), Sandeep (Muzaffarnagar), Saurabh Yadav (Ayodhya), Priyanka Singh (Basti), Abhilash Singh (Deoria), Sushil Kumar (Deoria), Vivek Mishra (Jalaun), Pinki Kumari (Kanpur Nagar), and Mamta Yadav (Kannauj)....