Lucknow, Sep 22 (PTI) The Uttar Pradesh government on Tuesday said it will launch a project dedicated to 28 districts of the Purvanchal region to transform the local resources into opportunities for investment, employment, entrepreneurship and exports.

The Uttar Pradesh Enabling District-Led Economic Growth (UP-EDGE) project, to be launched with the support of the World Bank, will accelerate economic activities in the Purvanchal region while also strengthening the local administration.

On Tuesday, a meeting was held between UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and World Bank officials, during which various proposed components of the project, including sending the Preliminary Project Report (PPR) to the Government of India, were discussed, the state government said in a statement.

During the meeting with World Bank Practice Manager Hoon Soh, Lead Economist and Fiscal Policy Specialist Aurelien Krause, Senior Economist Vincent Belinga and Senior Specialist Neha Gupta, it was informed that the UP-EDGE project has been prepared for 28 districts of Purvanchal.

Seven districts of Bundelkhand may also be included in it. The proposed project, with an estimated outlay of approximately Rs 2,500 crore, will have a duration of 5 years, the statement said.

It was informed during the meeting that Purvanchal accounts for around 40 per cent of the state's population, while its contribution to the state's GDP is approximately 27.6 per cent. The region's per capita income is around 45 per cent lower than the state average, and approximately 80 per cent of the workforce is engaged in the agriculture sector. In such a situation, the project will expand economic activities based on district-wise requirements and local potential.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said, "Purvanchal has immense development potential. Keeping local requirements, available resources and economic opportunities in view, action plans for major investment projects should be prepared district-wise. This will create new opportunities for employment and income at the local level and provide fresh momentum to the region's economy."

He added that along with agriculture, the role of the manufacturing and services sectors will also have to be increased in the development of Purvanchal.

By connecting local products with better design, packaging and global markets, export opportunities can be expanded. Special attention should be given to linking ODOP (one district, one product) and other local products with the new market ecosystem.

The project will place special emphasis on the manufacturing and services sectors. Work will be undertaken to increase exports by developing ODOP products with new designs and better packaging in accordance with the requirements of global markets.

There is also a proposal to develop around one lakh new enterprises and increase the participation of women entrepreneurs. New opportunities will also be developed in sectors such as tourism, education, healthcare, e-commerce, data centres and Digital Districts.

Along with promoting skill development and training in major educational centres such as Varanasi, Gorakhpur and Prayagraj, work will be undertaken on the potential of Medicities and health tourism in the healthcare sector.

There is also a proposal to promote the processing of agricultural products and develop around 10,000 polyhouses.

The meeting also emphasised strengthening the capacity of the local administration and preparing major investment proposals in accordance with the needs and available opportunities of each district, the statement said. PTI NAV HVA