The Yogi Adityanath government has set an ambitious target of transforming Uttar Pradesh into a zero poverty state, To realise this target Chief Minister Yogi has adopted the principle of ‘Antyodaya se Sarvodaya’ as the foundation of his approach. He unveiled the ambitious scheme on the 78th Independence Day on Thursday.

The policy envisions the welfare of the entire society by focusing on the uplift of the most vulnerable sections. A comprehensive action plan is being developed to achieve Yogi’s goal of a ‘zero poverty state’.

According to an official spokesman of the government, the ‘One Family, One ID’ initiative will be pivotal in this effort, aiming to ensure that every impoverished and marginalised individual receives the full benefits of government schemes. The Yogi government has set an ambitious target to lift 15 lakh to 25 lakh of the state’s poorest families above the poverty line within a year.

Over the past decade, six crore individuals in Uttar Pradesh who were living in severe economic hardship, have been lifted out of multidimensional poverty, thereby providing them with a dignified quality of life.

Addressing the people of Uttar Pradesh on Independence Day, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath reaffirmed the state government's unwavering commitment to the welfare of the most marginalised through ‘Antyodaya’. “Our priority is to ensure that every poor, needy and deprived individual benefits from government schemes,” he said.

Chief Minister Yogi emphasised that in the last seven and a half years, over 56 lakh poor families have been provided with housing under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, 2.62 crore people have gained access to toilets, and more than 1.86 crore have received free LPG connections. The ongoing efforts include providing drinking water connections to over 2.65 crore families and distributing free food grains to 15 crore poor people.

The chief minister highlighted that with the effective implementation of welfare programmes, Uttar Pradesh has successfully lifted six crore people out of multidimensional poverty. “In line with the prime minister’s vision, the state government is also committed to advancing the zero poverty campaign,” Chief Minister Yogi said.

He added that by creating a Family ID for every household, the state aims to achieve 100 per cent saturation of government schemes. Each family will be issued a Family ID to facilitate this goal, he added.

According to NITI Aayog, Uttar Pradesh consistently ranks first in the nation in the composite rankings. Despite this achievement, reaching every impoverished family remains a challenging task. The Yogi government recognises that if some families have been left behind, it is crucial to include them in the poverty eradication efforts.

To address this, the government is developing a comprehensive strategy and roadmap for poverty eradication. The analysis reveals that the poverty levels among some identified families are alarmingly severe. Therefore, in the initial phase, the government plans to implement a targeted convergence strategy to address the needs of the poorest families. This approach will focus on meeting their essential needs, including food, clothing, housing, education and medical care.

In addition, projects are being identified that can provide support to these families. At the government level, there is a focus not only on securing funds but also on ensuring effective management. Emphasis is also being placed on establishing clear guidelines and adhering to timelines for the necessary actions required for each family.

The government recognises that complete eradication of poverty cannot be achieved solely through the integrated benefits of government schemes. To address this, it is crucial to involve the poorest families in employment-oriented measures to ensure a stable source of income.

In the second phase, the focus will shift to establishing sustainable income sources and enhancing the livelihood skills and capacity of one member from each family. This will include efforts to connect them with resources such as assured loans, bank linkages and employment opportunities aligned with market demand and premium skills.

Additionally, provisions will be made to engage students from universities, colleges and prestigious educational institutions as interns. Local civil society organisations will also be involved through partnerships with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF). Reputable research institutes may be empanelled for independent evaluations to ensure effective implementation and assessment.