This story is from May 21, 2021

PM Narendra Modi’s aide at helm of relief operations in East Uttar Pradesh

While chief minister Yogi Adityanath is ramping up measures to contain the Covid second wave’s lethal run in Uttar Pradesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s close aide and bureaucrat-turned-politician Arvind Kumar Sharma took up vantage position during relief operations not only in Modi’s parliamentary constituency, Varanasi, but also in 21 other eastern UP districts of the state.
PM Narendra Modi’s aide at helm of relief operations in East Uttar Pradesh
Difficult times: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s trusted aide MLC A K Sharma during a Covid review meeting in Varanasi
LUCKNOW: While chief minister Yogi Adityanath is ramping up measures to contain the Covid second wave’s lethal run in Uttar Pradesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s close aide and bureaucrat-turned-politician Arvind Kumar Sharma took up vantage position during relief operations not only in Modi’s parliamentary constituency, Varanasi, but also in 21 other eastern UP districts of the state.
Sharma, who was elected as BJP MLC in January this year, maintained a hotline with Prime Minister’s Office and channelized resources in Covid-hit Varanasi.
“Whatever good happened in Varanasi during Covid crisis was because of directions of PM Modi and help from PMO,” Sharma tweeted on Thursday, a day after Modi lauded Varanasi’s Covid management model. In fact, Sharma has been camping in Kashi since April soon after the second wave struck.
Sources said, Sharma has been closely coordinating with the state government to roll out relief in major parts of eastern UP districts, including CM Yogi’s home turf Gorakhpur. The other districts where Sharma chipped in were Jaunpur, Chandauli, Ghazipur, Azamgarh, Mau, Sant Kabir Nagar, Basti, Ballia, Mirzapur, Bhadohi, Sonebhadra, Maharajganj, Sultanpur, Kushinagar, Deoria, Ambedkarnagar, Prayagraj, Ayodhya and Siddharthnagar.
A senior official in the state government said, Sharma managed to pool in CSR funds to provide around 53,000 medical kits and other aid in east UP districts. BJP sources said, Sharma worked closely with party functionaries and provided inputs on mobilising oxygen and medicines in worst-hit areas. Sources said, Sharma attended meetings with district authorities and shared his administrative experience in crisis situations.
BJP had nominated Sharma, a former Gujarat cadre IAS officer, as a candidate for the UP legislative council polls on January 15, a day after he joined the party. Sharma, who took voluntary retirement as secretary of Union ministry of micro, small and medium enterprises, had worked closely with Modi.
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