Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Friday highlighted Uttar Pradesh’s growth story and pointed out that the state is moving from the “Bahubali era” towards the “bio era” under chief minister Yogi Adityanath.Defence minister Rajnath Singh at an event in Lucknow on Friday. (PTI PHOTO)He also called for attaining self-reliance in the energy, fuel and technology sectors. Besides, he urged people to use bioplastic for environmental conservation and sustainable developmentSingh, who reached his Lok Sabha constituency Lucknow on Friday on a three-day visit, was addressing the event ‘Bioyug Green Command-2026’ at Dilkusha area launched jointly by Balrampur Chini Mills Ltd (BCML) and Lucknow Cantonment Board on the occasion of the World Environment Day.“Under chief minister Yogi Adityanath, Uttar Pradesh is moving ahead from the ‘Bahubali era’ towards the ‘bio era,” he said.“Last year, following the cowardly attack in Pahalgam, our three armed forces jointly executed Operation Sindoor. We carried out precision strikes to dismantle the terror infrastructure based in Pakistan. We annihilated both the terrorists and their patrons,” said Singh.“We were able to achieve this because our morale was high. We possessed indigenous weapons and were not dependent on other nations. We must attain similar capability (self-reliance) in the sectors of energy, fuel, and technology, and I am confident that we will achieve this,” he added.He also urged people to discard single-use plastic and adopt cloth bags to protect the environment.Terming the use of bioplastic for environmental conservation and sustainable development the need of the hour, Singh said microplastics generated from conventional plastic have now become a serious threat to human health, water, land and marine life.He said PLA (Polylactic Acid) based bioplastic made from sugarcane is an eco-friendly alternative which decomposes naturally and merges with soil without causing pollution.During the programme, the formal launch of the partnership between BCML and Lucknow Cantonment Board for adoption of bioplastic took place. An exhibition based on the bioplastic value chain was also organised and ITI girl students, who received 3D printing training, were felicitated.BCML chairman and managing director Vivek Saraogi said biomaterials will form the basis of the economy of the future, while executive director Avantika Saraogi described it as beneficial for farmers, industry and the environment and called it an important step towards India’s green future.