Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi's initiatives for women's empowerment, highlighting their impact on the state and the nation. Speaking at a recent event in Varanasi, Adityanath emphasized the Prime Minister's respect for women and the success of programs like Beti Bachao Beti Padhao in promoting education and empowerment of girls.
Adityanath also announced several new initiatives aimed at further supporting women and boosting the state's economy. One key announcement was the distribution of free LPG cylinders to beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY). This initiative, fulfilling a key election promise, aims to benefit approximately 1.86 crore families across Uttar Pradesh by providing them with safe and affordable cooking fuel. The state government is releasing ₹1,890 crore for this distribution, ensuring that beneficiaries can avail of the benefit before the festival season. CM Adityanath has emphasized that this initiative aligns with the government's public welfare commitments, and that the scheme has already benefited millions of families during previous festivals.
Furthermore, Adityanath announced the establishment of textile and apparel parks in Uttar Pradesh named after Sant Kabir. These parks aim to boost skill development and generate employment for the youth in the state. Uttar Pradesh, with its rich heritage of handloom and textile products, has the potential to secure a strong position in the global textile market, which is projected to reach USD 2.3 trillion by 2030. The Chief Minister stated that the Sant Kabir Textile and Apparel Park Scheme would not only bring large-scale investments and jobs but also establish Uttar Pradesh as a global hub in the textile and apparel sector.
Each park will cover a minimum of 50 acres and include a common effluent treatment plant along with facilities for ancillary industries such as buttons, zippers, packaging, and warehousing. The textile park at the Lucknow-Hardoi border, being developed under the PM Mitra Scheme, is expected to create over 50,000 jobs. The government has signed MoUs worth ₹700 crore during investor meets. The state government will also establish 10 new textile parks named after Sant Kabir Das and two leather parks in honour of Sant Ravidas.
These initiatives are part of a broader effort by the Uttar Pradesh government to promote women's safety, dignity, and self-reliance. The state government is running several programs, including Mission Shakti, to ensure women's empowerment. Additionally, various schemes like the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, Matru Vandana Yojana, Kanya Sumangala Yojana, and Samuhik Vivah are ensuring the protection, dignity, and empowerment of girls. One crore women in Uttar Pradesh are receiving an annual pension of ₹12,000, and 26 lakh girls are benefitting from the Kanya Sumangala Yojana, which provides financial support of ₹25,000 from birth to graduation.
CM Adityanath has credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for launching the Ujjwala Yojana in 2016, which has provided free LPG connections to 10 crore families across the country, including nearly two crore in Uttar Pradesh. He also highlighted the difficulties people faced before the Ujjwala scheme, where securing an LPG connection required paying bribes, and refills were hard to come by.
The Chief Minister reiterated the state government's commitment to easing the suffering of every individual and ensuring that the benefits of government schemes reach everyone without any discrimination. He also emphasized the importance of the textile sector for employment generation.
