NEW DELHI: The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet has approved a number of proposals, including continuation of the scheme to provide two free LPG cylinders in a year, facilitating the operation of 1,725 airconditioned electric buses, launching of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Skill Training and Employment Zone development scheme, and providing three sarees every year to the state’s Anganwadi workers and helpers.
Around 39 proposals were approved during the Cabinet meeting on October 9, chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
The UP Cabinet approved a proposal to continue the scheme of providing one free LPG cylinder refill each on Diwali and Holi to the eligible beneficiaries of ‘Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana’ in the financial year 2026-27. In all, the eligible beneficiaries will receive two free cylinder refills during the financial year. The state government will spend Rs 2,142.78 crore on this initiative.
The first free refill will be provided between October and December 2026 (coinciding with Diwali), and the second between January and March 2027 (coinciding with Holi). According to the eligibility criteria set by the Government, the benefits of the scheme will be available only to those Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana beneficiaries whose bank accounts are linked to Aadhaar and who have completed their Aadhaar authentication.
The Government will also facilitate the operation of 1,725 air-conditioned electric buses. These electric buses will operate in Agra, Aligarh, Ayodhya, Bareilly, Firozabad, Ghaziabad, Gorakhpur, Jhansi, Kanpur, Lucknow, Mathura-Vrindavan, Meerut, Moradabad, Prayagraj, Shahjahanpur, Saharanpur, Varanasi, and Noida (including Jewar). The Cabinet has also approved the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Skill Training and Employment Zone (SVPSTPZ) development scheme.
The scheme aims to develop Uttar Pradesh into an “ultimate sourcing hub for skilled manpower” and a “global manpower hub.” Under this initiative, an integrated system for skill training and employment will be developed across nine zones, covering all 75 districts of the state. According to the government, this will help train youth in accordance with the industry demands and connect them with employment opportunities available both domestically and internationally. Meanwhile, a proposal to rename the state’s Bhadohi district to ‘Sant Ravidas Nagar Bhadohi’ was also approved.
