Centre's `Stand Up India' is to stand tall in UP

Even before the Election Commission realized, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance government has ushered in `Stand Up India' to benefit the Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and women entrepreneurs in the run-up to the UP elections. The NDA exercise is specifically aimed at the Dalits who constitute 20% population in UP. `Stand Up India' is expected to do an encore for the BJP, which had won 71 out of the 80 parliamentary seats in UP in 2014. Under the Stand Up India programme, a credit of Rs 10 lakhs each was proposed for the entrepreneurs in the non-agricultural sectors. The Centre would be allotting Rs 10,000 crore for the CIDBI for the purpose. The registrations for e-rickshaws would also begin later on Tuesday. Called the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana Scheme, the Prime Minister was expected to open a website for registrations under the scheme later today. The BJP under the Amit Shah leadership is taking up the UP assembly election seriously, even as the ruling Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party and the Congress are banking on the intolerance debate by passing off the blame for everything that happens in lawless UP to garner votes.