To commemorate the birth centenary of Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath inaugurated the two-day Atal Health Fair at Dilkusha Lawn here on Tuesday.

They also inaugurated and laid the foundation for 181 projects worth Rs 662 crore on the occasion.

Speaking at the event, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said former prime minister Vajpayee, who represented Lucknow as an MP five times, revolutionised Indian politics by steering it from instability to stability.

"He also brought Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay's vision of Antyodaya to life. Inspired by his legacy, the Atal Health Fair continues to deliver healthcare services to the underprivileged and needy," the CM remarked.

Adityanath recalled that health fairs were first launched during Vajpayee's leadership in 1998-99, but were discontinued in later years.

"Reviving this tradition, the Atal Health Fair has been organised consistently over the last five years, benefiting more than 50,000 people between 2020 and 2023," he said.

Describing Vajpayee as the 'Ajatshatru' of Indian politics, the CM praised his spontaneity and simplicity, which endeared him to people across all sections of the society.

He also commended Defence Minister Singh's role in Lucknow's all-around development and acknowledged the contribution of projects worth Rs 662 crore that were inaugurated and launched during the event.

Singh has been a Lok Sabha MP from Lucknow since 2019.

The Chief Minister further highlighted the distribution of assistive devices like prosthetic limbs, tricycles, wheelchairs, and blind sticks at the health fair.

Referring to initiatives for empowering the differently-abled under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, Adityanath emphasised the increase in their annual pension to Rs 12,000 and highlighted ongoing programmes for equipment distribution to support their needs.

(Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by FPJ's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)