Senior officers to assess impact of U.P. government schemes in aspirational blocks

The Uttar Pradesh government has decided to send senior officers to the 108 aspirational blocks to assess the on-ground implementation and impact of the government schemes in the state, officials said.

The government had recently sent 75 IAS officers to as many districts to review the progress of ‘Har Ghar Nal’ scheme launched under the Jal Jeevan Mission, as well as that of cow shelters. Officers of special secretary rank will be sent to the aspirational blocks on a three-day visit (May 30 to June 1). The objective is to verify whether government schemes are delivering meaningful outcomes, benefiting people, ensuring efficient delivery, and driving visible change in backward regions, a government spokesperson said.

The nodal officers will assess the ground reality with visiting key institutions, including health centres, schools, Anganwadi centres, and gram sachivalayas. They will also evaluate infrastructure and human resource availability, he said.

Ahead of the field visits, the nodal officers will undergo a one-day training and orientation programme at Yojana Bhawan in Lucknow on May 28. The training, focusing on monitoring strategies for aspirational development blocks, data interpretation, use of digital dashboards, and coordination with the Chief Minister’s Fellowship Programme, will equip officers with the necessary tools for effective reporting and real-time evaluation.

During their visit, the officers will also engage with the respective district magistrates and chief development officers to review the progress of development and assess ongoing strategies. They will monitor reports and inputs provided by the ‘Youth Fellows’ deployed under the Chief Minister’s Fellowship Programme, who have been working at the grassroots level to track progress and submit regular feedback to the government. Proposed projects and utilisation of sanctioned incentive funds will also be reviewed in detail, the spokesperson said.

This initiative is part of a broader effort launched in May 2022, when the state government began identifying and prioritising the development of underperforming blocks. A total of 108 development blocks across 42 districts were selected based on poor social and infrastructure indicators. These blocks are now being monitored using a robust framework of 50 key performance indicators across various sectors, including health, nutrition, education, agriculture, infrastructure, and social development, he said.

Uttar Pradesh model has received national recognition. Impressed by its effectiveness, NITI Aayog launched the nationwide Aspirational Development Block Programme in January 2023, selecting 500 blocks from across the country, including 68 development blocks from 42 districts in U.P. These blocks have consistently performed well in NITI Aayog’s Delta Rankings, further validating the success of the initiative, officials said.