Gorakhpur: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath dedicated the Shaheed Ashfaqullah Khan Prani Udyan here to the people on Saturday.
Adityanath said that the Gorakhpur zoo, third in the state after Kanpur and Lucknow, would be a new identity of development and would serve as a medium of tourism and means of employment.
The chief minister said that till date 151 animals have been brought to the zoo and the number should reach to 400. He also said that before Diwali something new should be introduced in the zoo.
The Gorakhpur zoo will be open to the public from Sunday.
Adityanath asked officials to ensure that entry for children is free for one month with the proper precautions of masking and social distancing in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.
During the inaugural visit, he rode a golf car decorated in the shape of a tiger and went on a tour to inspect enclosures of animals.
The chief minister also inaugurated a 7D theatre where he watched a short film on the zoo. He also released a booklet on the occasion.
He recalled the sacrifice of Kakori incident martyrs and said they have an unbreakable relationship with Gorakhpur.
“Immortal freedom fighter Pandit Ram Prasad Bismil, the mastermind of the Kakori incident, was kept in Gorakhpur jail and hanged here. The state government has recently built his memorial in Gorakhpur jail,” he said in a statement issued in Lucknow on Saturday. PTI
