KANPUR/JHANSI, July 26 -- Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday said the BJP government would reduce the paper leak mafia to dust, asserting that those accused of jeopardising the future of students would face stringent punishment, including confiscation of property and prison terms under a proposed central law. Addressing public meetings in Fatehpur and Jalaun, Adityanath said the Union government was bringing a stringent law against the paper leak and copying mafia that would prescribe a minimum jail term of 10 years, extendable to life imprisonment, along with fines of up to Rs 10 crore. He said the legislation, expected to be introduced in Parliament, reflected the prime minister's resolve to ensure that examination fraud did not derail the careers of young people. "I want to tell the youth of Uttar Pradesh that anyone who plays with the future of students has only two destinations - jail or hell," he said in Fatehpur. He added that those involved would not only face imprisonment but would also have their properties confiscated. "We have tightened our grip on such mafia. Just as we acted against organised crime syndicates, the paper leak mafia will also be reduced to dust," he said. Calling the paper leak network the legacy of the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Congress, Adityanath accused the opposition parties of ruining the future of an entire generation while now shedding crocodile tears over students' concerns. Referring to the alleged NEET paper leak, he said the accused had been arrested, action had been taken against National Testing Agency officials and further proceedings were under way. He said the proposed law would ensure that those responsible faced exemplary punishment. The chief minister claimed that transparent recruitment had become possible only after his government dismantled organised criminal networks. He said over nine lakh youths had secured government jobs in the state during the BJP's tenure purely on merit. In contrast, he alleged that almost every major recruitment conducted between 2012 and 2017 was embroiled in controversy, with deserving candidates losing out because corruption of "chacha-bhatija" had become institutionalised.Adityanath said Fatehpur, once counted among the country's most backward districts, had undergone a transformation since 2017. He alleged that funds meant for the district's development had earlier been siphoned off by the Saifai syndicate, leaving it behind on education, healthcare, employment and infrastructure despite its strategic location between Kanpur and Prayagraj.He said the district lacked quality roads, industries and higher medical facilities before the BJP came to power, but now had a medical college, improved connectivity and expanded industrial prospects. The chief minister inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for 125 development projects worth more than Rs 489 crore in Fatehpur and distributed benefits under various welfare schemes, including housing, health insurance and livelihood programmes.In Jalaun, where he inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for 375 development projects worth Rs 1,275 crore, Adityanath the government has pursued an uncompromising approach against organised crime and mafia networks. He claimed that illegal properties worth more than Rs 600 crore had been confiscated. He said bulldozers would continue to be used against illegally acquired properties of gangsters and mafias. He broadened his attack on previous governments, blaming them for Bundelkhand's backwardness, drought-induced migration and the rise of dacoits and organised crime. He said the region's resources had been exploited while development funds were diverted elsewhere, forcing generations of young people to migrate in search of work.The projects launched span key sectors such as road connectivity, drinking water supply, healthcare, education, irrigation, power infrastructure, urban development and public safety. He argued that Bundelkhand was now emerging as a growth centre, driven by infrastructure and industrial investment. Citing the Bundelkhand Expressway, the proposed 56,000-acre industrial township, the defence corridor and improved road connectivity, Adityanath said the region was shedding its old image as a dacoit-infested hinterland and becoming a destination for investment. He also announced plans for a data centre cluster in Jalaun, saying it would create employment opportunities and support emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence. He added that India's first solar expressway is being developed in Bundelkhand and is expected to provide clean energy benefits to nearly one lakh households. Highlighting local achievements, the chief minister said Kalpi's handmade paper had become a global brand after receiving a geographical indication (GI) tag and was now being exported to Australia, Canada, the United States, Germany and Japan. He also referred to Konch's Ramleela entering the Limca Book of Records and invoked the region's association with Maharishi Ved Vyasa, Rani Lakshmibai, Tatya Tope and Nana Saheb Peshwa. Adityanath said welfare schemes, including free ration, Ayushman Bharat health cover, housing assistance and support for farmers, had reached beneficiaries directly under the BJP government. The chief minister also highlighted environmental and rural development initiatives, including the revival of the Noon River, construction of Amrit Sarovars, cattle welfare measures and expansion of drinking water infrastructure. He cited Rangoli gram panchayat as an example of successful grassroots development, describing it as the first village panchayat in the state to achieve zero poverty. The chief minister credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi's flagship schemes, including Digital India, Startup India, Stand-Up India, Ayushman Bharat, PM Awas Yojana and PM-Kisan, for improving the lives of farmers, women and young people through direct and transparent delivery of benefits. Earlier, Adityanath distributed benefits under various welfare programmes and transferred Rs 13.14 crore to self-help groups under the Uttar Pradesh State Rural Livelihood Mission....