Free power connections for UP's urban poor

Lucknow, June 22:  Below Poverty Line (BPL) card holders living in urban areas of Uttar Pradesh will be given free electricity connections, a Cabinet meeting presided over by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath decided on Thursday.

Millions of poor people are likely to benefit from this decision.

The Cabinet, in its 12th meeting since the Bharatiya Janata Party government took over in March, also decided to raze all dilapidated community as well as primary health centres and build new ones.

Health Minister Siddharthanath Singh said financial assistance of Rs 10,000 given to unemployed youths from backward classes for 'O level' computer training has been increased to Rs 15,000.

A new policy will be formulated for developmental funds given to MLAs. Non-governmental organisations, cooperative committees and private contractors will not be assigned tasks undertaken by such developmental funds from now on. Such works will also not be given to institutions with links to lawmakers. 

The Cabinet decided to rename Disability Welfare Department as Divyaang Welfare Department. 

Under 'power for all' endeavour, 400 kiloVolt sub-stations will be constructed at Firozabad and Rae Bareli. 

The Cabinet also approved the cancellation of all tenders in the Child Development Department floated during 2016-17. All nutrition tenders were cancelled and within three months, new tenders would be floated. 

Till then, work would be executed on existing tender conditions. This follows a string of serious charges of omission and commission against the department.