UP Cabinet approves formation of ‘Rozgar Mission’, opens global job avenues for youth

Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, on Thursday approved the formation of the UP Rozgar Mission, which aims to provide direct employment opportunities to youth within India and abroad through a government-backed system, marking a shift from the earlier practice of relying solely on private recruiting agencies.

Sharing details after the Cabinet meeting, Finance and Parliamentary Affairs minister Suresh Khanna said that 30 proposals were cleared, the most ambitious being the Rozgar Mission. Labour minister Anil Rajbhar explained that the new initiative would allow the state to acquire its own Recruiting Agent (RA) license, thereby enabling the direct placement of skilled youth in international jobs.

Until now, job seekers from the state relied on private recruiting agents for overseas employment.

The mission aims to provide one lakh domestic jobs and around 25,000 to 30,000 overseas placements within a year.

Rajbhar highlighted a rising demand for skilled manpower from Uttar Pradesh, particularly in the fields of nursing, paramedical services, driving, and technical trades. He emphasised that the mission is designed to assess job demand, identify skill gaps, offer training and language support, and facilitate job placements with follow-up support.

The Cabinet also approved the inclusion of women workers in all 29 hazardous industry categories, provided adequate safety and health protocols are maintained. Rajbhar said that earlier, women were allowed to work in only 12 less-risk categories, and later, this was increased to 16. With the latest revision, women can now be employed across all hazardous sectors.

In a move to improve regional connectivity and strengthen expressway infrastructure, the Cabinet approved the construction of a 49.96-kilometre Greenfield Link Expressway that will connect the Agra-Lucknow Expressway with the Purvanchal Expressway. The controlled-access six-lane expressway, expandable to eight lanes, will be built on the EPC model at an estimated cost of ₹4,775.84 crore.

The entire project will be funded by the state government.

Once operational, the new corridor is expected to significantly reduce travel time between Lucknow, Agra, Kanpur, Prayagraj, Varanasi, and Ghazipur, while easing traffic congestion in Lucknow.