LUCKNOW, March 9 -- Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday announced that the Laxmibai Scooty Scheme for meritorious girl students will be launched soon, reviving a promise made in the BJP's 2022 election manifesto with the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls in 2027 less than a year away. Addressing a programme on International Women's Day, Yogi said the scheme will initially benefit meritorious students in the final year of graduation and postgraduation, with others to be included in phases later. "Meritorious daughters in the final year of graduation and post-graduation will benefit in the first phase and others will gradually benefit in the second," the chief minister said. The scheme was promised in party's 2022 poll manifesto and the state government earmarked Rs.400 crore for the scheme in the 2026-27 budget tabled on February 11. Officials said committees have been formed to finalise scooter specifications and eligibility criteria. Speaking at the event, the chief minister said that there were five main reasons for Uttar Pradesh's transformation after 2017. "The government worked in keeping with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of five Ts - Tradition, Technology, Transparency, Trust and Transformation." Transformation happens when tradition, technology, transparency, and trust converge. We respected India's tradition and heritage, and this allows development to chart its course. We further facilitate this by integrating technology. Transparency instils trust in the public, and this trust leads to change. Uttar Pradesh has become a model of these five Ts," he added. During the programme, the chief minister distributed cheques, appointment letters and Ayushman cards to women beneficiaries under various schemes. He also transferred Rs.38.49 crore through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) to Anganwadi workers. Recalling an episode from the time he assumed office in 2017, Yogi said that during a visit to a school in Chitrakoot, he saw many girls attending classes barefoot and without proper school bags. "About 60% of girls in basic education schools used to come barefoot. When I visited a school in Chitrakoot without a prior programme, I saw girls without footwear, in torn clothes and without school bags," he said. "When I asked one of the girls, she told me her brother had shoes and proper clothes. It raised a serious question about discrimination between boys and girls," Yogi said. The chief minister said he immediately held a meeting with officials and announced that girls in basic education schools would be provided with uniforms, books and shoes. "Later, we decided to extend the benefit to boys as well without any discrimination, and the money was transferred through DBT," he said. Referring to the Mukhyamantri Samuhik Vivah Yojana, the chief minister said the scheme was opposed by the Samajwadi Party when it was launched. "But today parents do not have to worry about arranging funds for the marriage of their daughters," he said. "Earlier, Uttar Pradesh used to witness curfews, riots and migration. Parents were hesitant to send their daughters to schools within the state and preferred sending them outside for education," he added. Speaking about Anganwadi workers, Yogi said that before 2017, they frequently staged protests in Lucknow. "Earlier, there was laxity at the departmental level, but now the department is working at a faster pace. Anganwadi workers are using smartphones to upload their work, and the system is becoming performance-based with a respectable honorarium," the chief minister said. He also pointed out that the number of women personnel in the UP Police has increased significantly. "From 1947 till 2017, UP Police had around 10,000 women personnel. Since 2017, their number has increased to more than 44,000. This shows we are on the right track," he said. Yogi also congratulated girls who performed exceptionally well in studies under government homes and the Chief Minister Bal Seva Yojana. On the occasion, he released Atmamanthan, a book highlighting the work of Anganwadi workers on the completion of 50 years of the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), and Sarathi, a booklet aimed at enhancing the capacity of Mukhya Sevikas under the Department of Child Development and Nutrition....