In a major relief for over 34,000 PRD (Prantiya Rakshak Dal) volunteers, the Uttar Pradesh government has approved a 26% hike in their daily duty allowance, from Rs 395 to Rs 500.

The proposal for enhanced duty allowance was cleared during a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath here on Tuesday.

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State Finance and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Khanna said, “The new allowance will come into effect from April 1, 2025. The increase will translate into an additional Rs 3,150 per month per volunteer (based on 30 days of attendance), imposing an annual financial burden of Rs 75.87 crore on the state exchequer. The move has evoked a widespread happiness among PRD personnel, which is crucial in maintaining law and order at the grassroots level.”

“Out of a total of 15 proposals presented in the Cabinet meeting, 13 received approval, including the decision to enhance the PRD allowance,” he added.

In another significant decision, the Cabinet approved the Finance Department’s proposal to reorganise the Uttar Pradesh Subordinate Cooperative Societies and Panchayat Audit Service Rules, 2025.

Finance Minister Suresh Khanna explained that the new structure addresses an imbalance in the previous setup, where higher-level posts outnumbered lower-tier positions. The restructuring has increased the number of entry-level posts, creating a more rational promotional pyramid. Specifically, 150 out of the 1,307 existing posts have been upgraded and merged with the 255 pre-existing Assistant Audit Officer posts, resulting in 405 such posts.

Meanwhile, 464 posts have been downgraded and merged with the existing 436 auditor posts, bringing the total to 900 auditor positions.

The reorganization aims to create a balanced and functional cadre structure with more opportunities at the base level, ensuring smoother promotions and better administrative efficiency.

Other important decisions of the UP Cabinet include child care for 3 to 7 years in Ayodhya on Nazul land and free land has been allotted to the Department of PwD.

Besides, a 300-bed hospital will be constructed on the surplus 12,798 square meters of land of Sita Eye Hospital in Ayodhya.

The interchange of Yamuna and Eastern Peripheral Expressway will be constructed by NHAI in Afzalpur and land has been allotted for the construction of a medical college along with the district hospital in Hathras. 6.675 hectares of land on Agra-Aligarh road is given at rate of 1987 for the Hatras hospital.