Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh govt has linked 4.25 lakh families — around 34% of identified beneficiaries — with all welfare schemes they are eligible for under the ‘Zero Poverty’ campaign launched in 2024, officials said.Officials said the coverage is expected to rise by nearly 30% once targets under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana are achieved.Among districts, Hathras topped the rankings with 78% achievement, followed by Ghaziabad, Shamli, Muzaffarnagar, Badaun, Amroha, Maharajganj, Meerut, Baghpat and Gorakhpur. Agra, Mau, Prayagraj, Banda, Ballia, Fatehpur, Firozabad, Shravasti, Bahraich and Unnao were identified as the worst-performing districts.A key focus of the campaign has been linking youths with skill development and employment opportunities. Around 19 lakh youths in the 18-35 age group have been identified under the scheme. So far, 43,647 youths have received training, while another 1,258 are undergoing training.Officials said 2,691 trained youths have been linked to jobs through the UP Skill Development Mission, while 888 others secured employment through Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs).In the first phase, beneficiaries were connected to eight welfare schemes, including ration cards, Nirashrit Mahila Pension, Labour Card, Ayushman Bharat, Divyang Pension, Old Age Pension, Kisan Samman Nidhi and Pradhan Mantri/Mukhyamantri Awas Yojana. Coverage reached 97% for ration cards, 98% for Nirashrit Mahila Pension, 95% for Labour Cards and 92% for Ayushman Bharat.In the second phase, the govt added schemes such as Shauchalay Sahayata Yojana, self-help groups, school enrolment, Har Ghar Nal Se Jal, Mukhyamantri Kanya Sumangala Yojana, Bal Seva Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana and electricity connections.
