Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, accompanied by his Cabinet colleagues, visited Prayagraj on Thursday to personally thank officials, sanitation workers, boatsmen, drivers, health workers, and police for their work during the 45-day Maha Kumbh Mela, which concluded on Wednesday.The chief minister announced Rs 10,000 bonus for sanitation workers, health workers, police personnel as well as drivers deployed at Maha Kumbh, and financial assistance for boats and insurance for boatsmen.In addition, 75,000 police personnel were assured a week-long break in a phased manner along with a Maha Kumbh Sewa Medal.Speaking at a special event at the Ganga Mandapam, where he received over three Guinness Book of World Record certificates for the Maha Kumbh 2025 on behalf of the UP government, the chief minister described the 45-day religious event as the “world’s largest and most historic gathering”. Adityanath credited its success to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “visionary leadership” and the collective efforts of the people.After reaching Prayagraj, the CM and his Cabinet colleagues first offered prayers at the Sangam and then took part in a cleanliness drive with sanitation workers.The CM and his ministers also had meals, first with sanitation workers and later with police personnel.During his interaction with sanitation and health workers, he presented them with gifts and Rs 5 lakh health insurance certificates under the Swachh Kumbh Fund. The chief minister said that from April, the state government would establish a dedicated corporation to ensure fair wages. “Through this initiative, every sanitation and health worker will receive a monthly remuneration of Rs 16,000 directly into their bank accounts,” the CM added.Story continues below this adLater in the day, the CM felicitated boatsmen and announced financial assistance to boatsmen as well as insurance of up to Rs 5 lakh for their boats. He also assured that the state government would give special facility to boatsmen and thanked them for facilitating 66 crore people to take dip in the Sangam.Similarly, he also interacted with drivers of the state roadways, UPSRTC, and announced an additional bonus of ₹10,000 for drivers. The CM said 3.75 crore passengers commuted to their destinations through the Uttar Pradesh Transport Department’s buses.He wrapped up the visit after interacting with police personnel where he praised their “patience and discipline” for “the challenging crowd management”.“Our personnel were even pushed by people at times but they displayed remarkable resilience and patience,” he said.Story continues below this adHe highlighted how the event seamlessly blended faith and economy, drawing 66.3 crore devotees and contributing significantly to the state’s economy. “This was not just an event of faith; it was an economic phenomenon. The state government invested Rs 7,500 crore in Prayagraj’s infrastructure, and in return, the economy saw an unprecedented boost of Rs 3.5 lakh crore,” the chief minister said.Adityanath also responded to critics, stating, “Only those who participated in the Maha Kumbh can understand its scale and complexity. It is easy to sit far away and make negative comments.” The chief minister praised the transformation of the UP Police, stating that while they had earlier fought riots and mafia dominance, they had now established themselves as a ‘Mitra Police’ (friendly police force) with global recognition for their conduct.Adityanath acknowledged the contributions of all security forces, including the state police, paramilitary forces, home guards, Prantiya Rakshak Dal (PRD), water police, traffic police, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC), saying their professionalism was praised across the country and abroad.Highlighting the scale of the event, the chief minister noted that while Prayagraj’s permanent population is around 25 lakh, the Maha Kumbh hosted one-and-a-half to two crore devotees daily, with 15 crore pilgrims visiting in just three days between January 28 and 30. He said dignitaries from over 100 countries, including 12 heads of state, participated in the event.