UP cabinet nod to selection of Deloitte India as consultant for roadmap to boost economy

It also approved the programme to award 100 full-time fellowships to students/researchers from leading institutions to work on a yearlong fellowship in UP’s 100 aspirational developmental blocks

LUCKNOW The Uttar Pradesh cabinet on Tuesday approved a proposal to appoint Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu (India) as the consultant to be tasked to work out a roadmap to boost the size of the state’s GSDP to one trillion dollars in five years.

The state government had begun work to make the state a trillion-dollar economy soon after Prime Minister Narendra Modi floated the idea at the UP Investors’ Summit-2018. (File Photo)

Chief minister Yogi Adityanath presided over the meeting of the state cabinet that also approved the CM’s fellowship programme to award 100 fulltime fellowships to students/researchers from leading institutions to work on a year-long fellowship in the state’s 100 aspirational developmental blocks. The fellows will be required to survey, monitor and collect data about implementation of government schemes.

Briefing media persons, minister for agriculture Surya Pratap Shahi said Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu India had submitted a bid for ₹164 crore and this had been brought down to ₹120 crore after negotiations.

The state government had begun work to make the state a trillion-dollar economy soon after Prime Minister Narendra Modi floated the idea at the UP Investors’ Summit-2018. After cancelling the bidding process once, the state government invited bids for appointment of consultant on March 15, 2022. It received bids from seven companies.

The state government proposes to sign a contract with the consultant within 15 days. It will ask the consultant to submit a draft roadmap within 90 days of signing the contract. “The selected consultant will have to submit a draft roadmap within 90 days of signing the contract. The consultant will hold regular consultations with the departments and have to submit a final draft incorporating the necessary inputs received from the high powered committee within 150 days,” stated Alok Kumar III, secretary, state planning department.

Under the CM’s fellowship programme, 100 students/researchers under 40-year age group and with minimum 60% marks will be given fellowships for one year, extendable for another one year. The state government has selected 100 development blocks in 34 districts on the pattern of NITI Ayog’s aspirational districts.

Under the approved scheme, each fellow will get ₹30,000 per month, ₹10,000 for travelling, ₹15,000 for a tablet and a residential accommodation at the development block where the fellow will be working. The fellows will work under the supervision of respective district magistrates. Those studying or researching on energy, tourism, culture, data science, artificial intelligence, information technology, biotechnology, banking, finance, public policy, governance agriculture, rural development, panchayati raj, forest, environment and climate resilience sectors will be eligible for the fellowship.

“In the next 15 days, we will develop a portal and make applications available for the fellowship in development blocks,” said Alok Kumar.