The Uttar Pradesh government on Wednesday said the implementation of Central welfare schemes gathered pace after the BJP came to power in the state in 2017. It alleged that several flagship programmes of the Centre had witnessed slow progress under the previous government due to administrative hurdles and political differences, leaving many beneficiaries without assistance.
According to the state government, the situation changed after Yogi Adityanath took oath as Chief Minister in 2017, allowing the benefits of both Central and State government schemes to reach people across Uttar Pradesh.
PM Awas Yojana Picks Up Pace
The government said the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), launched to provide permanent houses to economically weaker families, witnessed significant progress
after 2017.
It alleged that before the BJP assumed office, the previous government focused on its own housing schemes, including Samajwadi Awas Yojana and Lohia Gramin Awas Yojana, instead of effectively implementing PMAY. The state also claimed that delays in sending beneficiary lists and releasing the matching state share affected the scheme’s rollout.
According to the government, fewer than 50,000 houses were built under PMAY between 2014 and 2017. In contrast, more than 62 lakh families have received pucca houses during the last nine years under the Yogi government.
More Farmers Covered Under Crop Insurance
The state government also highlighted the implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), launched in 2016 to protect farmers against crop losses caused by natural disasters.
It claimed that before 2017, only around 3 per cent of farmers in Uttar Pradesh were covered under the scheme due to the previous government’s lack of participation. As a result, many farmers were unable to receive compensation.
The government said that during the last nine years, over 79 lakh farmers have benefited under PMFBY, with claims exceeding Rs 6,283 crore being paid.
Swachh Bharat Mission Transformed Rural Sanitation
The government said Uttar Pradesh made significant progress under the Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) after 2017.
According to the state, rural sanitation coverage stood at only around 35 per cent by March 2017, and not a single district had achieved Open Defecation Free (ODF) status.
Since then, more than 3.31 crore household toilets have been constructed across the state. Uttar Pradesh has now been declared 100 per cent Open Defecation Free, while over 94,000 villages have achieved ODF Plus status with solid and liquid waste management facilities, the government said.
Ujjwala Scheme Expanded, Free Refills Added
The state government also highlighted the expansion of the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, under which free LPG connections have been provided to poor households.
It alleged that before 2017, only a limited number of women received LPG connections and many families could not afford to refill their cylinders after the first supply.
According to the government, nearly 1.86 crore women in Uttar Pradesh have received free LPG connections over the past nine years. It added that beneficiaries are now also provided two free LPG cylinder refills every year during Holi and Deepawali, offering additional financial support to poor households.
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