The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet met in the Maha Kumbh Mela area on Wednesday following which Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced several key decisions on development projects and policy changes aimed at boosting the state's growth.
Addressing the media, the chief minister highlighted the wide range of topics discussed at the meeting, including policy matters on incentives in aerospace and defence sectors, and infrastructure development and specific issues related to Prayagraj.
He also announced construction of three new medical colleges in Baghpat, Hathras and Kasganj districts.
One of the major announcements was related to the state's aerospace and defence policies, which, he said, was initially implemented in 2018, has completed five years and will now be revamped.
"The revised policy will include new incentives to attract large investments into the sector," Adityanath said.
The cabinet meeting comes on a day that also marked the first anniversary of the consecration ceremony of the Ram Lalla idol at the Ram temple in Ayodhya and ahead of the February 5 Milkipur bypoll.
Adityanath said the cabinet also discussed the distribution of incentives under the Foreign Direct Investment and Fortune 500 investments made in Uttar Pradesh.
"New investment proposals were presented, and Letters of Intent will be issued. Among the key investments, a Rs 10,000 crore investment in Mirzapur and additional proposals in Moradabad were discussed. There are two more such projects," he said.
Additionally, the chief minister shared details of a scheme to provide smartphones and tablets to youths in the state. The government has allocated funds for this programme and it is expected to roll out in the coming months, he said.
After the cabinet meeting held at the Triveni complex located in Arail of Mahakumbh Nagar, Adityanath said the construction of two new bridges in Prayagraj was approved at the meeting.
Another important decision was the establishment of a medical college in Balrampur, which will be named after former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The KGMU Lucknow's Satellite Centre in Balrampur will be converted into a medical college, and it is set to begin operations in the next academic session, he said.
The cabinet also approved the construction of three new medical colleges in Baghpat, Hathras and Kasganj districts under the public-private partnership model.
In collaboration with Tata Technologies, the state government has also decided to establish 62 Industrial Training Institutes and five centres of innovation, invention, incubation, and training.
This initiative aims to provide modern education and skill development to the youth of UP through a hub-and-spoke model.
"Furthermore, the cabinet approved the establishment of a Directorate of Prosecution in the state," the chief minister announced.
He also spoke about the issuance of bonds by municipal corporations of Prayagraj, Varanasi, and Agra.
"This follows the successful issuance of bonds for Lucknow and Ghaziabad, which had yielded positive results. The issuance of bonds is seen as a way to brand these municipalities and boost their development," he said.
Highlighting the importance of Prayagraj, the CM spoke about the city's global significance.
He praised the record number of pilgrims who visited the Sangam for the holy bath, with over 9.25 crore devotees participating in the event so far.
He also said the Prayagraj Municipal Corporation will issue bonds to fund the construction of a super-specialty hospital.
In addition to this, bonds will also be issued for Agra to address its specific needs, and for Varanasi, with particular focus on the Kashi Vishwanath Dham, inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision for the city, he said.
Adityanath also announced cabinet's approvals for infrastructure projects related to Prayagraj and eastern UP.
"The proposal to build a new bridge over the Ganga between Salori and Hetapatti, and a new bridge parallel to the Signature Bridge over the Yamuna, has been approved," he said.
"Prayagraj faces its own internal traffic challenges. A new six-lane bridge is being built over the Ganga, which will be completed on time. I am confident that by the next Kumbh, the benefits of infrastructure development will be enjoyed by devotees who come," he added.
"Keeping in mind the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj, we will develop a growth corridor combining Prayagraj and Chitrakoot. For this, we will expand the Ganga Expressway, which will connect Prayagraj to Mirzapur and from there to Bhadohi, and further connect to Varanasi, Chandauli, and Ghazipur through the Purvanchal Expressway," the CM said.
He said, additionally, this expressway will connect Varanasi and Chandauli to Sonbhadra and link up with the national highway.
"This plan for Prayagraj-Chitrakoot growth corridor will be taken forward in collaboration with the NITI Aayog, just as we are advancing the Varanasi-Vindhya growth corridor.
"These growth corridors will play a significant role not only from a tourism perspective but also in terms of economic development and job creation," Adityanath said.
"Approval has also been given for a proposal to connect the Bundelkhand Expressway with the Ganga Expressway to link Chitrakoot with Prayagraj," he added.
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