Uttar Pradesh CM Adityanath launches 'Project GANGA', pitches self-reliance over 'revdi' culture

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday launched Project GANGA (Government Assisted Network for Growth and Advancement) in Lucknow to provide high-speed fibre-based broadband connectivity to lakhs of rural households.

Uttar Pradesh State Transformation Commission CEO Manoj Kumar Singh told PTI that 21 districts will be covered in the first phase.

Speaking at the launch, Adityanath emphasised self-reliance and discouraged 'revdi' (freebies) culture, saying that dependence on the government should be minimal.


Also Read: Mamata Banerjee meets Sonia Gandhi amid rebellion in Trinamool Congress

"Our (governance) model should make a person self-reliant. Dependence on the government should be minimal. Instead of distributing everything like the 'revdi sanskriti' (freebies culture), there should be an effort towards self-reliance, only then will it be sustainable. We have to take that sustainable model forward," he said.

The chief minister also said the biggest challenge is the last-mile connectivity, and added that broadband connectivity should reach every nyay panchayat.

"Giving broadband facility in the village panchayats means developing the village panchayats as smart villages," he said, adding that a faster internet will propel the pace of development.

Also Read: Premarital sex is common today, can't be used to judge a person's character: SC

"We all know that today, broadband has become a necessity. The faster the internet is, the faster the pace of development will be. Comprehensive changes will be visible in the people's lives," Adityanath said.

He said that Project GANGA will pave the way for entrepreneurship in the state.

"In the 2026-27 budget, we had declared that the state government, from the point of view of digital empowerment, will help 8,000 digital entrepreneurs to move forward. Of this, 50 per cent will be women. I think Project GANGA will become that medium," he said.

Later, in a post on X in Hindi, Adityanath thanked the UP Transformation Commission, the Department of IT and Electronics, and the Hinduja Group, and congratulated the people of the state.

"This innovative initiative takes forward the 'Digital India' vision of the Honourable Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji, which serves as a strong foundation for building a 'Viksit Bharat' and 'Atmanirbhar Bharat'," he said.

According to officials, Project GANGA aims to deliver high-speed broadband connectivity across rural UP and promote telemedicine, digital education, skill development, e-governance, digital employment and rural entrepreneurship.

Under the project, over 10,000 youths are proposed to be developed as Digital Service Providers (DSPs), generating an estimated 50,000 direct and more than one lakh indirect employment opportunities.

The project aims to connect over 20 lakh households with fibre-based high-speed internet services. DSPs are expected to connect 200 to 300 households within their area.

Women entrepreneurship has been given special priority under the scheme, with a target of around 50 per cent participation by women entrepreneurs.