Yogi Adityanath Pushes for Antyodaya Cards and Fast‑Tracks Infrastructure in Uttar Pradesh

In a brisk meeting of the State Transformation Commission, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath asked for a dedicated team to make sure every family that qualifies under the Zero Poverty campaign receives an Antyodaya card. The idea, he said, is simple – the card should act like a passport to every welfare scheme, from Ayushman Bharat health cover to the prime‑minister’s and chief‑minister’s housing programmes.

Officials reported that about 12.5 lakh families have already been surveyed. Roughly nine lakh of them are eligible for the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, while around five lakh are slated for the state’s own Chief Minister Housing Scheme.

But the numbers also revealed gaps: some 6.67 lakh families still lack an Ayushman Bharat health card. Of those, about five lakh have already been enrolled through the Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board; the rest are in the pipeline.

The government also set an ambitious target – skill‑training for at least one member of the 10.6 lakh families identified. “We must turn welfare into livelihood,” the CM emphasized.

Land acquisition, a long‑standing bottleneck, is reportedly moving faster. By the latest count, 88.45 % of the Farrukhabad Link Expressway, 72.71 % of the Jhansi Link, 63 % of the Agra‑Lucknow‑Purvanchal corridor and 59.35 % of the Jewar Link have secured land. Yogi asked district magistrates to lock down the remaining parcels by July 31 and to talk directly with owners, cutting red‑tape.

The meeting also touched on a string of flagship projects. The Supreme Court gave the green light to the Lucknow Night Safari on July 15, and the CM urged officials to wrap up formalities without delay. In Greater Noida, 301 of the planned 323 hectares for a Multi‑Modal Logistic Hub have been acquired, and five firms have already shown interest.

Other nods included the textile park in Lucknow – urged to keep up its construction tempo – and the Aqua Bridge in Unnao, where pending technical clearances should be cleared pronto. Safety concerns were raised too: high‑tension power lines hovering over sewer lines in Lucknow’s municipal area must be remedied through coordinated action.

Finally, the chief minister reminded officials that funds such as the District Mining Fund and MLA‑led development schemes must be spent transparently, aligning with genuine local needs. He called for regular reviews to keep projects on schedule.