Uttar Pradesh has embarked on a bold journey—a mission to make poverty a thing of the past. Named the Zero-Poverty Campaign, this initiative, led by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, is not just a political slogan. It is a deep, ambitious, and structured effort to uplift millions of families who have long lived on the edge of survival.
In the recently tabled UP Budget 2025, the government allocated significant resources toward programs that target basic human needs: food, shelter, healthcare, and income. The campaign aims to bring lasting change, not just temporary relief. Through this article, let’s understand the vision, the funding details, the ongoing efforts, and how this campaign might shape the lives of people living below the poverty line in India’s most populous state.
A Closer Look at the Zero-Poverty Vision
The Zero-Poverty Campaign is based on a simple but powerful idea: every family deserves dignity, opportunity, and the basic needs of life. Poverty in UP, as in many parts of India, is not just about income. It is about lack of access—access to clean food, safe shelter, healthcare, and employment that pays a fair wage.
This campaign doesn’t treat poverty as just a number. Instead, it identifies vulnerable families through surveys and data and provides them with targeted solutions. From urban slums to remote villages, this campaign is reaching out to the last person standing in the queue.The campaign also aims to remove people from the cycle of dependence by creating sustainable solutions. One-time help may solve a temporary crisis, but only consistent income, skills, and infrastructure can ensure people don’t fall back into poverty. With this mindset, the campaign brings together multiple government departments under one umbrella—housing, health, food security, women and child development, and rural employment.
Budget 2025: A Big Push Towards Poverty Eradication
The 2025 UP Budget has dedicated over ₹20,000 crore directly and indirectly to the Zero-Poverty vision. This includes allocations for affordable housing, nutritional schemes, health insurance coverage, and job creation. Each rupee has a purpose, and each department has been given a clear role.
For housing, around ₹6,000 crore has been marked under PM Awas Yojana (Gramin and Urban) to ensure no one sleeps under a broken roof. In food security, nearly ₹3,500 crore will be spent on improving the Public Distribution System (PDS) and special nutrition programs for children and pregnant women.
The healthcare component sees a jump, with ₹5,000 crore going into schemes like Ayushman Bharat, primary health centres, and mobile health units. For job creation and income generation, another ₹4,500 crore has been allocated to schemes under MNREGA, self-help groups, and skill training.
The budget also sets aside funds for monitoring, field surveys, and performance evaluation, ensuring that every rupee works on the ground, not just on paper.
Food Security: No Family Left Hungry
The government has taken a pledge—no child should sleep hungry. With the allocation in this year’s budget, the PDS is getting a revamp. Old ration shops are being digitized, and irregularities are being removed through biometric authentication.
Special food kits are also being distributed to severely malnourished children, with input from anganwadi workers. The Mukhya Mantri Bal Poshan Yojana has been merged into this framework to ensure a single-window nutritional supply system.In urban areas, where migration often cuts people off from welfare benefits, portable ration cards are being promoted so that workers can continue to get their entitled food grains anywhere in the state.
Affordable Housing for All: Safe Shelter Is a Right
Under the housing vertical of the campaign, PM Awas Yojana is being expanded with state-level support. The target is clear—build 10 lakh new houses in both rural and urban areas in the next year.
The government is also offering direct benefit transfers to eligible families to construct houses in a phased manner. To fast-track urban housing, land is being made available at subsidized rates, and construction permits have been simplified.
In the slums of cities like Kanpur, Lucknow, and Varanasi, redevelopment plans are underway with help from the private sector. For families living in flood-prone or dangerous areas, relocation plans with housing support are also being rolled out.
Healthcare: Taking Care to the Doorstep
In rural UP, access to hospitals can mean hours of travel. This is why the Zero-Poverty Campaign is putting a focus on mobile health vans, telemedicine units, and upgrading PHCs (Primary Health Centres).
The health budget includes new maternal care centres, dialysis machines, and emergency referral systems. The Ayushman Bharat scheme is being strengthened with more empanelled hospitals and a helpdesk for poor families to access cashless treatment. Special attention is being given to tribal and forest areas, where mobile units with doctors and essential medicines are now operational weekly. Free health check-ups, medicines, and follow-ups are part of the package.
Sustainable Livelihood: More Than Just Employment
Job creation is not about government jobs anymore. The campaign supports self-employment, microenterprises, and cooperative models for the rural and urban poor.
Over 5 lakh women self-help groups will be linked to banks with credit support. The One District One Product (ODOP) scheme is being expanded with budgetary support to promote local skills and crafts.
Under the Skill India mission, new training centres are being opened in backward districts, helping youth learn trades like plumbing, tailoring, digital marketing, and renewable energy systems. The idea is simple—teach people to earn a stable income and live with pride.
Real Stories from the Ground: Hope in Every Village
In Bahraich district, 35-year-old Ramesh, a daily wage worker, received financial support to construct a house for his family of five. For the first time, they have a toilet and running water. His wife, Sarla, joined a self-help group and now earns by making organic soaps.
In Rae Bareli, a group of 12 women who completed stitching training under the campaign now run a local tailoring unit. Their children now go to school, and the household no longer depends on debt to survive.
In Varanasi, mobile health vans have brought medical care to over 40 villages in just three months. Elderly people and expecting mothers have especially benefited.
These stories are becoming common, as the campaign reaches deeper into rural areas and urban margins.
Accountability & Monitoring: Ensuring Each Rupee Counts
One of the highlights of the Zero-Poverty Campaign is its real-time monitoring system. A centralized dashboard tracks how many houses were built, how many people got jobs, and how many availed healthcare.
District collectors are being made accountable for weekly updates. Nodal officers visit ground locations to verify implementation. Complaints are being accepted via helpline numbers, and the grievance redressal system has improved visibly.
The government has also tied up with independent audit groups and NGOs to prepare monthly field reports. This transparency builds trust and helps improve efficiency.
Challenges & The Road Ahead
No campaign is without its hurdles. Delays in fund transfer, local corruption, and political interference still exist. Some remote areas remain hard to reach. There are cases where housing or food benefits are pending due to documentation errors.But the government is trying to overcome these with direct digital transfers, citizen help desks, and village-level volunteers. The biggest challenge will be to sustain the momentum and make sure that people not only get benefits but also climb out of poverty permanently.
UP’s population of over 24 crore means that even a 5% success can impact more than a crore families. This scale of transformation requires steady funding, political will, and community support.
Conclusion: A Campaign Rooted in People’s Needs
The Zero-Poverty Campaign is not just another scheme. It is a serious attempt to change the story of millions. For too long, poverty has been accepted as a given in many parts of India. This campaign challenges that belief and replaces it with hope, opportunity, and dignity.
The 2025 Budget has provided the foundation. The people’s participation, honest implementation, and strong monitoring will determine whether the dream of a poverty-free Uttar Pradesh becomes reality.
This campaign is not just a government responsibility; it is a movement that invites every citizen to play a part. From local officials to youth volunteers, from health workers to village heads—everyone has a role in building an Uttar Pradesh where no one is left behind.
