As part of the recently concluded Uttar Pradesh Prawasi Diwas, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav announced a slew of measures to draw investors to the state. There have been a number of initiatives taken in the state which are designed to help the people. These include infrastructure projects such as a Metro Rail project and the Agra-Lucknow expressway. Although one of the central themes behind the event was garnering investments from NRIs, schemes that were beneficial to those in need were also discussed.
Talking about these efforts, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav said, “To improve and make the working of the government more transparent, the state government is taking to using Information Technology in a big way. The state government has drawn up schemes in a transparent manner which will benefit the weaker sections, women, children, youth and farmers.”
Speaking about the development that the state has undergone, Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary Alok Ranjan said, “It is a matter of great pleasure that heartening results have come out of the work done in pushing the development agenda for the year 2014-2015.” The following is a look at some of the schemes launched by the Uttar Pradesh government:
Free Irrigation scheme for farmers
As a result of this scheme, farmers will be exempt from paying irrigation fee for the water that they obtain from canals and government tube-wells. It is estimated that 55 lakh farmers will benefit from this unique initiative.
Loan waiver scheme for farmers
Launched in 2012, the scheme enables the waiving of loans of upto Rs 50,000 taken from the Uttar Pradesh Cooperative Agriculture Development Bank. So far, loans worth Rs 1,779 crore have been waived. It is estimated that over seven lakh farmers have benefitted from the scheme.
Agra-Lucknow expressway
This is one of the most ambition plans undertaken by the state government. A 300 km long road, which will be a six-lane expressway, will be constructed as part of the project. So far, 3,400 hectares of land have been acquired by the government for this purpose. The entire project is estimated to cost about Rs 14,000 crore. Construction work has been going on since November 2014.
Metro rail project
This scheme aims to launch a Metro Rail in Lucknow on a 22-km long route. In its first leg, it will consist of the route between Choudhary Charan Singh Airport to Munshipuliya. The estimated cost for the project is Rs 6,880 crore. Work on the project was started in September 2014. Besides this, Metro Rail will also be introduced in Ghaziabad, Agra, Meerut, Kanpur, and Varanasi, to name a few prominent places.
Lohiya Rural Housing Scheme
Under this scheme, about 1,01,000 housing units equipped with solar lights and fans are being constructed in the current financial year. For this scheme, Rs 2,500 crore has been earmarked.
IT city in Lucknow
An IT city has been planned in Lucknow. For this purpose, a company has already been formed. The first phase of the project is expected to be completed within the next two years.
Farmers’ Accident Insurance Scheme
The maximum coverage amount under this scheme has been increased from Rs 1,00,000 to Rs 5,00,000. So far, about Rs 922 crore has been given to 21,000 farmers during the past three years.
Political Pension
Under this scheme, the amount of pension which is admissible to the state’s freedom fighters and their dependants has been increased from the previous Rs 8,811 per month to Rs 12,000 per month. Also, the Samman amount admissible to the Loktantra Senanis has been increased from Rs 6000 to Rs 10,000 per month.
Kamdhenu & Mini Kamdhenu Schemes
These two schemes have been launched by the state government for the purpose of economic emancipation of farmers. Under the Kamdhenu Scheme, dairy units each with 100 milch cattle are being established. The Mini-Kamdhenu Scheme envisages units of 50 cattle.
Plastic City
An Integrated Plastic Park is being set up in the Auraiya district of Uttar Pradesh. The estimated cost of the project is $33.51 million and it will cover around 300 acres of land. The proposed features include industrial and residential townships, markets, banks, hospitality, schools, hostels and parks. Apart from these, a skill development centre, tool room, treatment plant and warehouse have also been proposed. So far, basic infrastructural facilities such as power distribution lines, sewage and water overhead tanks have already been developed. The allotment of industrial plots is still in progress.
Mega Leather Cluster project
Two green-field Mega Leather Cluster projects are expected to come up in Hardoi and Kanpur soon. While 150 acres of land are dedicated for Hardoi, the Kanpur Cluster will get 625 acres. The MLCs will feature world-class infrastructure with the latest technology which will meet the demands of the international and Indian markets. A Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) has been formed for both the projects. Each park will have entail an investment of $164.25 million and will employ around 10,000 people.
Hi-tech Industrial Township Project
The Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor Development Corporation Ltd (DMICDCL) will set up the Industrial Investment Zone on both sides of the Western Freight Corridor. Out of the entire DMIC catchment area, 36,068 square km will be spread out across 12 districts of Uttar Pradesh. It is expected that the investment on the project will be around $427 million. The world-class Integrated Industrial Hi-Tech Township has been proposed with the funding from DMICDCL. The development of the township will be carried out by Special Purposed Vehicle which will be set up by DMICDCL and UPSIDC. DMICDCL will have 49% share of the SPV and the UP government will have 51% share.
Eastern Dedicated Freights Corridor Project
This industrial corridor is expected to come up with an investment of up to $6,896 million by 2018. Uttar Pradesh has a share of around 57% (measuring 1,049 km dissecting the state) in the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor project. Out of the whole project, National Investment and Manufacturing Zones (NIMZ), and five Industrial Zones will be situated in UP. The proposed NIMZs include Auraiya National Investment and Manufacturing Zone, and Jhansi National Investment and Manufacturing Zone. The Five Industrial Zones include Pashchimanchal Industrial Zone, Braj Industrial Zone, Kanpur Logistics hub, Allahabad-Naini-Bara Investment Zone, and Mughalsari-Varanasi-Mirjapur Investment Zone.