Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday alleged that the distribution of nutrition during the tenure of the Samajwadi Party government in the state was controlled by liquor mafia and that malnourished children and mothers were deprived of their rights.

Addressing a programme in Lucknow for the inauguration and foundation laying of anganwadi projects, the CM said, “The rights of malnourished children and mothers were looted. But the current government eliminated the mafia and implemented a transparent system under which anganwadi workers and helpers are now being given appointment letters without recommendations.”

“Today, 35 lakh children are being given protein-rich, calorie-balanced hot nutritious meals daily. Before 2017, the nutrition distribution was handled by north India’s largest liquor mafia, which was given contracts by the then government,” he said.

The CM added that he was “shocked to learn” that the mafia had infiltrated the Women and Child Development Department” back then. “They controlled everything, deciding which ration would be distributed and where. But often, it didn’t reach anywhere at all. The quality was so poor that it was unfit for consumption. This is why UP was known as a ‘BIMARU’ state. If children are malnourished, the state is bound to suffer,” he said.

A target has been set this year to appoint more than 5,000 anganwadi workers and nearly 60,000 helpers, Adityanath said, adding the recruitment process for it has already begun.

“Also, to ensure social security for anganwadi workers who take care of children aged below 6 years, benefits of the Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY) and the Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY) have been provided. Additionally, under the Ayushman Bharat Scheme, more than 3 lakh workers and helpers are being given health insurance coverage of up to Rs 5 lakh per year,” the Chief Minister said.

The CM said, “Due to lack of smartphones, real-time data from anganwadi workers was not available earlier. Because data was not uploaded, the state’s ranking remained low. Smartphones will be distributed to workers in all districts as was done in Lucknow. The role of anganwadi workers is going to expand further. Under the National Education Policy, pre-primary education for children aged 3 to 5 will also be imparted at anganwadi centres”.

Adityanath further said, “Nearly 27,000 centres earlier run under basic education are also being handed over to anganwadis. Recognising their vital role in developing a child up to the age of six, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given every anganwadi worker and helper the title of ‘Yashoda Maiya’. Just as Yashoda Maiya nurtured Shri Krishna, the same role you are playing today. It is a great honour and responsibility as it will shape the future of the nation.”

Anganwadi centres are being constructed at a cost of Rs 137 crore, he said, adding the foundation stones for child development project office buildings have also been laid. The construction of anganwadi centres and child development offices worth Rs 313 crore has already been completed, and these were also inaugurated together, he said.

The CM said even during the COVID period, anganwadi and ASHA workers, and ANMs worked as frontline workers, keeping themselves as well as others safe. They implemented the PM’s COVID management plan on the ground, conducting screenings and delivering essential services to every household. As a result, an effective management of COVID was possible in such a large state, saving many lives, he added.

“Under the Sambhav campaign, more than 1.70 crore children have undergone health check-ups and screening in the past nine years. Out of 1.5 lakh children identified as malnourished, 80% have been rid of malnutrition. Stunting rate has reduced from 48% to 37%. If data continues to be uploaded on time through mobile phones, the state’s national ranking will improve further. Through a face recognition system, supplementary nutrition is being distributed monthly to 1.56 crore beneficiaries, making UP the first state in the country to do so,” the CM said.

“I can guarantee that none of you used recommendations or paid money for your selection. If such a process was followed before 2017, none of you would get selected. Both recommendation and money were required then,” he alleged.

Appointment letters were given to 19,424 anganwadi workers last year without any complaints and 2,519 were promoted to the post of ‘chief sevika’, the CM said. More than 69,000 anganwadi workers and chief sevikas are being given smartphones, which will bring efficiency in their work, he added.

Adityanath also called for the need for linking children with Aadhaar.

“Nearly 23,647 anganwadi centres are being developed as ‘saksham anganwadi centres’, equipped with LED TVs, ROs, nutrition gardens and pre-school kits. Anganwadi centres will look modern and honorariums would also be hiked. Instructions have been given to prepare proposals and ensure respectable minimum honorarium soon,” he said.

The CM claimed that earlier, even outsourcing companies were controlled by the mafia or politicians who would take Rs 10,000-12,000 each from the government but pay workers only Rs 5,000-6,000, besides charging commission at the time of recruitment.

Now, the government is setting up a corporation to ensure a corruption-free and exploitation-free system, with respectable wages, he added.

At another event, he transferred scholarships/fee reimbursements to the tune of Rs 3,350 crore into the bank accounts of 27,99,982 students of classes 9-10 and post-matric belonging to deprived and weaker sections.

The CM also transferred Rs 100 crore as assistance to 33,334 dependent families under the National Family Benefit Scheme in case of death of the main earning member of the household.

Targeting the Samajwadi Party, he said in the name of “samajwad” (socialism), “parivarwadi” (dynastic) people used to take away the rights of the poor. “But if they do so now, they will have to go to jail. The government will also confiscate their inherited assets and distribute them among the poor,” he said.

The state government has provided scholarships worth Rs 4,800 crore to 67 lakh children in the 2025-26 financial year, the CM added.