Lucknow, 10

March (HS): On Tuesday, the Uttar Pradesh Cabinet approved the Mukhyamantri

Gram Parivahan Yojana-2026, which would provide bus service to every village in

the state. The cabinet met on Tuesday at Lok Bhavan under the supervision of Chief

Minister Yogi Adityanath. Suresh Khanna, Finance and Parliamentary Affairs

Minister of Uttar Pradesh, stated during a press briefing that 31

recommendations were submitted in the meeting, 30 of which were approved by

cabinet, according to a statement from the government. UP Transport Minister

Dayashankar Singh, who was also present at the press event, spoke on the

Mukhyamantri Gram Parivahan Yojana-2026, saying that buses currently do not

cover about 12,200 villages. Under the new program, buses would serve all

59,163 gram sabhas in Uttar Pradesh.

These

buses will be free from permits and taxes, an advantage to the state's huge

rural population. Private persons will be permitted to run these buses. A

committee will be created, led by the District Magistrate, and will include

representatives from the CDO, SP, ARTO, and ARM. Singh stated that these

vehicles will make nighttime stops in communities. This service will assist

students as well as individuals traveling to courts, offices, or towns to

promote their wares. The minister went on to explain that in many places,

roadways made it impossible for huge buses to turn. He stated that around 5,000

of the 12,200 towns now without bus service are unable to accept huge buses. As

a result, smaller buses with a maximum length of seven meters and a seating

capacity of 28 passengers would be used.

He noted

that these buses will be redirected for other services between 10 a.m. and 4

p.m., returning to the villages around 8 p.m., depending on distance. The

drivers, conductors, and cleaners will all be from local areas, making it

easier to stop overnight and start early in the morning. The average life of

these buses will be 15 years, with initial operational clearance issued for 10

years, according to the Transport Minister. The transport minister stated that

a commission led by the District Magistrate will regulate local charges, and

ticket costs will stay reasonable. The fact that the buses would not require

permits or fees will also help the operators.

The

government's goal is to provide improved transportation options for the general

populace. Under this system, each applicant will be allowed to drive cars on

all gram panchayat routes within the block for which they have applied, and the

number of trips will be determined appropriately. Bus operators would be

expected to serve each gram panchayat in the block at least twice a day. The

scheme's application screening will be completed within 15 days. Following the

successful selection of candidates, 15 days will be granted to arrange

automobiles, with the full procedure finished within 45 days. The committee led

by the District Magistrate will review and evaluate applications, as well as

confirm routes and service providers.

Hindusthan Samachar / Abhishek Awasthi