Conduct evidence-based analysis of local resources and investment opportunities: Chief Minister

Lucknow, March 31 Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed the deployment of ‘CM Fellows’ in every district to accelerate the goal of building a one trillion dollar economy. During a high-level meeting held on Tuesday, he stated that, on the lines of Aspirational Blocks and the Aspirational Urban Local Bodies Programme, economic development at the district level should be made evidence-based and result-oriented. The Chief Minister instructed that the economic and data analysis capacity of District OTD (One Trillion Dollar) cell be strengthened. He added, "For this, two experts in each district, one economic development expert and one data analyst should be deployed as ‘OTD CM Fellows’." He emphasized that these experts should conduct evidence-based analysis of local resources, investment opportunities, and economic potential, and strengthen District OTD Cell in formulating district-centric development strategies. The Chief Minister further directed that monthly progress reports of economic activities conducted at the district level by OTD CM Fellows should be uploaded on an online dashboard. The CM added, "Additionally, quarterly progress reports and presentations at the Principal Secretary/Secretary level must be ensured. Suggestive reports to boost economic activities should be prepared and submitted to the District OTD Cell, and local data should be regularly analyzed and presented in meetings to track development trends." Discussing the selection criteria for OTD CM Fellows, the Chief Minister said, "High academic qualifications and technical expertise must be ensured." The Planning Department informed that for the role of economic development expert, a postgraduate degree or MBA in Economics, Applied Economics, Econometrics, Finance, or Data Science may be prescribed. For data analysts, a postgraduate degree or MBA in Statistics, Applied Statistics, Econometrics, Business Analytics, or Data Science may be set as the qualification. The Chief Minister added, "This initiative should strengthen data-driven decision-making at the district level, thereby accelerating investment promotion, employment generation, and the overall development of the local economy."