Lucknow: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath made his third major announcement while participating in the discussion on the Budget 2026–27. Referring to the Digital Entrepreneur Scheme, he said, “Digital entrepreneurs will be selected in 8,000 Nyaya Panchayats. Fifty percent of these entrepreneurs will be women, specifically daughters and daughters-in-law of the same Nyaya Panchayat. They will be provided with an interest-free loan of ₹10 lakh, for which provision has been made in the budget.”
He added, “These entrepreneurs will ensure that all essential facilities, previously unavailable in villages, are provided locally.” The Chief Minister said that whether it is the availability of optical fibre facilities or enabling village products to access other markets and online trading platforms, the government will provide all necessary support.
On the lines of the ‘She Mart’ scheme announced in the Union Budget, CM Yogi announced a new scheme titled ‘Women Entrepreneur Product Marketing Center’ dedicated to Matrushakti. He said, “Nearly one crore women in Uttar Pradesh are associated with self-help groups. So far, it has been difficult for them to access organized marketing platforms for their products. The government now plans to link this initiative with Nyaya Panchayats.”
He added, “These centers will be entirely managed by women, with a provision of ₹100 crore in the budget. Shopping complexes will be constructed at the Nyaya Panchayat level to facilitate the sale of products made by women's self-help groups. This initiative will be integrated with the Digital Entrepreneur Scheme. The government aims to connect and empower one crore women to become self-reliant.”
CM Yogi said, “Uttar Pradesh previously had a poor record in maternal mortality rate and infant mortality rate. When his government assumed office in 2017, the situation was concerning. To ensure 60 lakh safe deliveries every year, a provision of ₹1,000 crore has been made in the budget. The initiative will be institutionalized.”
He stated that arrangements will also be ensured in empaneled hospitals, and incentives will be provided. The aim is to safeguard motherhood and childhood across the state.
The Chief Minister also highlighted the announcement of the Agriculture Export Support Mission in the budget. To ensure that farmers’ produce from Uttar Pradesh reaches global markets, an initial provision of ₹100 crore has been made.
He recalled that earlier there were around 40 lakh tube wells in the state, but during the tenure of Akhilesh Yadav’s government, electricity supply was unreliable and tube wells often remained non-functional, making farming difficult. He added, “At present, the government is providing free electricity to 16 lakh farmers connected to electricity-powered tube wells, spending ₹3,000 crore annually on this initiative.”
Referring to the then Irrigation Minister Shivpal Singh Yadav, who was absent from the House, the Chief Minister also made critical remarks regarding his tenure.
CM Yogi further spoke about the expansion of irrigation capacity. He said, “Work has been completed or is underway on projects such as the Bansagar Dam, Arjun Sahayak Project, Saryu Canal Project, and Madhya Ganga Canal Project. These projects have provided irrigation facilities to lakhs of hectares of land.”
He added that for tube wells where farmers still depend on diesel pumping sets for irrigation, the government plans to provide solar panels. A provision of ₹2,000 crore has been made for this initiative, aiming to connect farmers with modern technology.
