Overview

• Chief minister Yogi Adityanath made the announcements in Varanasi during the Swachhata Mitra Samman, where about 500 sanitation workers were honoured.
• The state will directly credit Rs 16,000–Rs 20,000 to sanitation workers’ bank accounts to curb middlemen and prevent exploitation.
• All sanitation workers are to receive Ayushman cards providing up to ₹5 lakh in annual medical coverage under the national scheme.
• A dedicated portal is being prepared to manage beneficiary enrollment and payments, though specific timelines and operating procedures have not been released.
• Payments will be routed via a government corporation rather than outsourcing firms, and the CM proposed bank compensation of Rs 35–40 lakh for accidents or disasters; he also declared October 7 a public holiday for Valmiki Jayanti and noted 33,000 grievances resolved in a 75‑day drive.