The Uttar Pradesh cabinet on Tuesday approved a proposal for 24-hour power supply in cities and 18 hours in villages in the state.

The Power Department proposal to replace burnt/damaged electricity transformers within 48 hours instead of existing 72 hours was also approved by the Cabinet in its second meeting in Lucknow, which was chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

Special vehicles fitted with global positioning system will ensure prompt change of malfunctioning transformers expeditiously.

It was also decided that all works with over Rs 10 crore expenditure so far would be investigated. From now on, works of developmental authorities and the state Housing Board will be audited by the Auditor General.

The Cabinet also approved the purchase of one lakh metric tonnes of potato from farmers at Rs 487 per quintal under a market intervention scheme.
 

Briefing the media on Cabinet decisions, Health Minister Siddharth Nath Singh, who is also the state government spokesman, said the earlier government led by Akhilesh Yadav had not prepared any road map for the purchase of potatoes because of which growers were left to fend for themselves.

The Cabinet also approved changes in funding pattern of border area development programme. Now on, the state will bear 40 per cent of the cost while the union government will take care of the remaining 60 per cent.

A decision was also taken to make all state roads pothole-free by June 15.