Akhilesh draws growth agenda

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Bajrang Dal volunteers participate in an obstacle-crossing drill during a youth camp on the outskirts of Ahmedabad on Thursday.

The Akhilesh Yadav government in Uttar Pradesh has finalised an agenda for integrated development of the state.
In the first phase, over 100 points have been included in the development agenda with agriculture, industry, power, education, health, social welfare and employment figuring prominently. Issues related to these sectors and mentioned in the Samajwadi Party manifesto, have been included in the development agenda.
According to an official release, the development agenda will be reviewed on a quarterly basis by the chief minister while the UP chief secretary will review the same on a monthly basis.
The priority sector of the agenda includes agriculture and a new agricultural policy is on the anvil. The government also wants to focus on food processing and horticulture with special emphasis on potato production. Mega food parks schemes are also proposed in this sector. Animal husbandry, poultry farming and fish development are core areas that will be in focus.
The agenda further underlines the need to promote industrial growth in the state and for this, a new industrial policy is being formulated. The government plans to encourage the PPP model in road construction and infrastructure development. A northern peripheral road in Ghaziabad and an expressway between Lucknow and Agra is being proposed. Steps will also be taken for an international cricket stadium in Lucknow, international level airports in Agra and Kushinagar and developing Mathura-Vrindavan as a major tourist hub.
The state government is seriously concerned about the prevailing power situation in the state and is keen to start new power projects apart from completing the ones that are underway. Projects in the power sector will also be taken up on the PPP mode and solar power projects will be given impetus.
A major point in the development agenda relates to health programmes, especially those related to immunisation. The chief minister is keen to introduce an element of transparency in the implementation of centrally aided health schemes and prevent recurrence of scams like the one in NRHM.