LUCKNOW: With the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections approaching, the Yogi Adityanath government has approved a subsidy of up to 50% for purchasing cows from other states, along with the free distribution of 100 chicks to poor families to encourage poultry farming.
At a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday, the government also approved changes to voter eligibility for panchayat elections, inland water transport rules, cashless medical treatment for non-teaching employees and investment proposals worth over Rs 1,700 crore.
Under the cow purchase scheme, the subsidy will be limited to two cows. For a cow costing Rs 50,000, the government will provide Rs 25,000. Animal Husbandry Minister Dharampal Singh said poor families would receive 100 chicks each free of cost to promote poultry farming.
The Cabinet also approved the launch of the State Livestock Mission to increase milk production, improve cattle breeds and raise livestock farmers’ incomes. The government will pay 85% of the insurance premium for cows, with farmers contributing the remaining 15%.
The Cabinet approved an amendment to the relevant Act to specify voter eligibility in panchayat elections. A person aged 18 or above who has ordinarily resided in a village for at least six months will be eligible for inclusion in the panchayat electoral roll. The Act did not previously clearly specify the eligibility criteria.
The Cabinet also approved the Uttar Pradesh Inland Vessel Rules, Transport Minister Dayashankar Singh said. An Inland Water Authority will be established to oversee water transport, with the Transport Minister as its chairperson.
Registration will be mandatory for boats and steamers operating on 11 rivers, including the Ganga, Yamuna, Saryu and Ghaghra. A fee of Rs 50 has been fixed for non-passenger boats. Both passengers and boat operators will be insured to improve safety and prevent accidents.
The government also approved cashless medical treatment of up to Rs 5 lakh for 48,062 non-teaching employees of non-government aided and unaided schools and Sanskrit secondary schools, along with their families. The coverage includes inpatient treatment. The state will pay an annual insurance premium of Rs 3,000 per employee.
Another 1,22,304 non-teaching employees of the Basic Education Council, aided junior high schools, unaided schools and the Samagra Shiksha project will also receive cashless treatment at government and private hospitals. The government will pay an annual premium of Rs 3,000 per employee for this facility.
The Cabinet also cleared investment proposals from four companies in Gautam Buddha Nagar under Uttar Pradesh’s Global Capability Centre policy. The proposals include Rs 879 crore from Havells, Rs 634 crore from LG Soft, Rs 112.84 crore from Ameriprise and Rs 84 crore from MetLife. The investments are intended to establish centres focused on IT, technology and research.
