During his recent visit to UP, World Bank group president Jim Yong Kim complimented the progressive approach of the leadership and governance of the young socialist chief minister Akhilesh Yadav.

World Bank group president Kim also praised the efforts of chief minister for distribution of free laptops to thousands of students in Lucknow and at the same time mentioned that connectivity, ability to use the technology as also very important.

Significantly enough, Yadav during his discussion with the World Bank group team, had demanded an assistance of Rs 20,000 crores (3.5 billion dollars) for various projects in UP.

The World Bank Group president has also given assurance to the state government to give assistance of about USD 1.6 billion through projects already under preparation. Of this, USD 460 million will be for the UP water sector restructuring project (EDFC II). The remaining assistance of USD 1.24 billion will come up from national-level, multi-state projects covering UP. There is the second phase of the eastern dedicated freight corridors (EDFCII), for which USD 1.05 billion has been allocated, and the rural Water Supply and Sanitation project for low-income state (UP component USD 155 million) and the informal settlements improvement project — state component USD 60 million.

It would be worth mentioning here that currently the stat has two projects that include the USD 196 million UP Sodic Lands Reclamation III project and the USD 148 million UP Health Systems Strengthening project. In addition, UP received about USD 1.8 billions as part of ongoing national/multi-state projects, including the National Ganga River basin project and EDFC-I, where UP is the largest beneficiary.

Pleased after his meeting with the World Bank team, the chief minister Akhilesh said that the announcement signified an increased engagement of World Bank in Uttar Pradesh’s development programmes.

Akhilesh Yadav government go another boost with the visit of a 39-member delegation of US India Business Council to participate in business summit, ‘Destination Uttar Pradesh’ investing in future.

The chairman of USIBC based in US said that never before such a huge delegation from top US companies had ever visited Lucknow.

The chairman of USIBC Ajai Banga and president Mr Ron Somers praised the young chief minister for taking interest in sending invitation to USIBC to send the delegation to explore the possibility of investment in UP.

The areas discussed in the summit where US companies could invest included agri-food processing, manufacturing, infrastructure, information technology, skill development, and solar energy.

The chief minister Akhilesh Yadav not only accepted the invitation from USIBC to visit US in the month of June to meet investors and showcase UP to them, but also assured the delegation of USIBC full cooperation from his government to attract investment in UP in near future. (IPA)