LUCKNOW, May 23 -- Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday handed over land allotment letters to 17 investors under the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (Yeida) area. Welcoming the investors, he said, "UP has now established itself as a world-class destination for tourism, trade and investment. "Investors investing in Uttar Pradesh are the government's partners in the development of the state. We consider the investor a partner. They provide employment and skills to the youth. The government welcomes every investor," he said. "The Jewar area, where India's largest Noida international airport has been built and where allotment letters have been distributed, used to be considered as one of the most frightening regions in India 9 years ago," Yogi added. "Serious criminal incidents used to take place there. Movement would stop after 5 or 5:30 pm. Life was limited from sunrise to sunset. There was no infrastructure either. "But the transformation visible today in Jewar and the Yeida region reflects the picture of a new Uttar Pradesh in a new India, and the same situation can now be seen in every district of UP," he said. The chief minister said "Before 2017, there used to be a parallel rule of mafias. Every district lived under fear and terror. Families worried about the safety of women if they went out for shopping or work. "Traders were forced to close shops before 6 pm. Roads were full of potholes. Connectivity and electricity conditions were poor. "People considered themselves fortunate if they got 4-5 hours of electricity. Mafia and criminal gangs operated districts and police stations. The government had neither policy, intention, security nor land bank." Calling security the first condition for development, Yogi said, "A suitable environment has to be created for it. Nothing can happen in an unsafe environment. Today in UP, industries and businesses are benefiting from investor-friendly policies without obstacles or illegal dealings. "UP now has one of the best road infrastructures in the country. If there is competition among states, UP will be among the top states." Cabinet Minister Nand Gopal Gupta Nandi, Minister of State Jaswant Singh Saini, along with investor entrepreneurs, were also present at the programme....