Worker takes centre stage in Yogi's mega Rs 9.13 lakh-crore plan—Migrant hubs, health vans, agri-export push in focus

The Yogi Adityanath-led UP government placed employment, skill development and migrant workers on its priority list in its state budget for the financial year beginning April 1, presented in the state Assembly on Wednesday, February 11. His administration's 10th budget for the state -- since he took office in March 2017 -- mentions a dedicated Employment Mission for jobseekers and a slew of welfare reforms to support the pursuit of earning a living in the state, including mobile health vans for construction workers and special hubs for migrant workers.

UP Finance Minister Suresh Kumar Khanna's budget for the financial year 2026-27 (FY27) is worth a record Rs 9.13 lakh crore, a 12.2 per cent increase over the previous year. This year's state budget draws a keen focus on education and agriculture to push economic growth.

This year's budget is 2.6 times the state's Rs 3.47 lakh-crore budget in FY17.

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Here's a lowdown on key announcements related to employment, migrant workers and labourers:

More than 2,19,000 recruitments in police department since 2017

The state FM stated that more than 2,19,000 recruitments have already been made in the police department since 2017, comprising 183,766 men and 35,443 women. He also mentioned that training programmes for 60,244 newly selected constables and recruitments for 83,122 non-gazetted posts are already underway.

He also highlighted that 8,966 lecturers, assistant teachers and principals have been recruited in government secondary schools under the state's Mission Employment.

Youth are being provided collateral- and interest-free loans to establish microenterprises under the CM Youth Entrepreneur Development Campaign, with an aim to set up 1 lakh new microenterprises annually.

He also underlined that UP has generated 20.19 crore person-days of work under the MGNREGA scheme, sharply higher than the goal of 20 crore person-days for FY26, as of January 13. This is the highest in the country, he remarked.

The state has generated employment for 47.11 lakh families in FY26 so far, he said.

Mobile health vans providing health check-ups to construction workers

The Yogi administration plans to set up dedicated hubs for labour workers travelling away from their homes to cities for opportunities. UP will also set up health vans, as a pilot project, to provide health check-up and health education to construction workers.

The state's Employment Mission, said the CM, aims to provide employment opportunities at national and international levels to jobseekers and workers.

Training and upskilling of the youth

Under the UP Skill Development Mission, 4.22 lakh youth out of the 9.25 lakh youth trained and certified in the last five years have already been placed in reputed companies, highlighted the CM. He also said that over 23,000 youth are currently receiving free coaching at 163 Abhyuday Centres under the CM Abhyuday Scheme -- the state's free coaching initiative.

He also noted that 49.86 lakh tablets and smartphones have been distributed free of cost under the Swami Vivekananda Youth Empowerment Scheme and sports equipment provided to 90,000 Mangal Dals -- or registered village-level volunteer youth groups -- across the state as an incentive.

UP-AGREES | UP to get Agri-Export Hubs

The state will set up Agri-Export Hubs under the World Bank-assisted UP-Agrees project, said the CM.

Aided by the World Bank, the UP-AGREES project aims to modernise agriculture in the state through export hubs and value chain enhancements, in line with the CM's vision of boosting farmer incomes in parallel with global trade.

The programme targets the Eastern UP (Purvanchal) and Bundelkhand regions across 28 districts, set to benefit 1 million producers, including 30 per cent women, over a period of six years.

The CM announced the establishment of skill development and job placement centres in various districts of the state through the public-private-partnership (PPP) route.

He also said that separate centres will be set up for women to enhance their participation in the workforce.