Natives of Uttar Pradesh and private organisations can now donate for developmental or infrastructural projects irrespective of whether they are residing in another state or abroad.

It is noteworthy that the Yogi Government approved the ‘Uttar Pradesh Matribhoomi Arpan Yojana’ during the cabinet meeting on Tuesday. This scheme enables Uttar Pradesh citizens residing outside the state, or abroad, to collaborate with the government in carrying out developmental projects for their homeland, officials here on Wednesday said.

For the projects within the jurisdiction of any urban body in the state, an administrative approval will be processed by the respective district magistrate within 30 days of the donation and progress reports of the work will be submitted to the government.

To prevent duplication of work under other schemes, technological tools such as geo-tagging will be employed. Additionally, the donated amount will only be deposited into the escrow account established under the scheme.

Urban Development Minister AK Sharma stated, “Uttar Pradesh citizens residing within the country or abroad, as well as private organizations, who wish to facilitate development and infrastructure enhancement within any urban area in the state, can now contribute through this scheme.”

Under this initiative, they will only be required to cover 60 per cent of the development costs, with the remaining 40 per cent being provided by the state government. Moreover, donors will receive recognition for their contributions. Their names or the names of their organisations will be prominently displayed at an appropriate location on the building or infrastructure facility, as outlined in the proposal, on a stone slab or plate of the size specified by the state government, he informed.

To ensure smooth implementation of the scheme, extensive publicity will be conducted both nationally and internationally. For this, cooperation of Indian embassies located in different countries will be taken and through the District Magistrates, information regarding this scheme will be made available by sending letters to different states of the country and people living abroad.

Furthermore, the donors will be invited as chief guests to programs organized during national festivals such as January 26, August 15, and October 2, as well as other government events. Various other promotional strategies will also be employed to enhance the visibility of this scheme.

Sharma said a significant number of individuals from Uttar Pradesh are employed in various cities across the country and overseas. “Affluent individuals residing in different cities across the nation, as well as those living abroad have a desire to contribute to the development of their hometown. However, for lack of an organised platform, they are unable to provide the desired level of support and contribution. This scheme has been specifically launched to address this need,” he stated.

He said there was a huge scope for work in urban bodies. It is recognized that to effectively develop these areas and establish necessary infrastructure facilities, increasing private participation alongside government funds and schemes is crucial.

This collaboration can expedite completion of work, while also introducing qualitative improvements and incorporating new technologies and ideas. The availability of private investment, technical support, and supervision will enhance the quality of work undertaken.