NITI Aayog to partner UP for holistic development

The announcement came after a delegation led by NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Arvind Panagariya held day-long deliberations in Lucknow on developmental challenges before UP.

Lucknow, May 12: Government think-tank NITI Aayog would partner with the Uttar Pradesh government to double the income of farmers and to create more livelihood and investment opportunities in the state, a statement said on Thursday.

It added that a Joint Working Group comprising of three representatives each from the NITI Aayog and the state government would be set up. The JWG will prepare within the next 15 days a road-map and identify action points for the development of the state. Respective departments of the state government will then implement these action points.

"Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed interest in bringing in the spirit of entrepreneurship and improving the investment climate in the state. The state government resolved to host a global investor summit in Uttar Pradesh soon," the statement said.

During the meeting, Panagariya traced India's growth story over the past two decades with focus on Uttar Pradesh. He linked the relation between growth, job opportunities and fall in poverty levels.

NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant made a presentation on where Uttar Pradesh stands today and what steps are needed to transform it.

NITI Aayog Member Agriculture Ramesh Chand shared issues related to the growth of agriculture and possible solutions for doubling farmer income in the state.

He said that "given the different agro-climatic zones in the state, different strategies have to be adopted for maximising the farm yields."

The think-tank said that "the way forward to transform Uttar Pradesh was through transforming key sectors, including industry, agriculture, infrastructure, health and education."

PTI