LUCKNOW, March 11 -- The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet on Tuesday gave its approval to the Mukhyamantri Gram Parivahan Yojana-2026, under which bus connectivity will now reach every village across the state. The cabinet meeting was held at Lok Bhavan under the chairmanship of chief minister Yogi Adityanath. Briefing media persons, minister of state (independent charge) for transport, Daya Shankar Singh, said: "At present, buses do not reach around 12,200 villages. Under the new policy, buses will reach all 59,163 gram sabhas of UP. These buses will be exempt from permits and taxes, which will benefit a large rural population of the state. Private individuals will be allowed to operate these buses," He said 5000 of these villages cannot be connected by large buses, and so small buses with a maximum length of seven metres and a maximum seating capacity of 28 passengers, would be deployed. A committee headed by the district magistrate will be formed, with the CDO, SP, ARTO and ARM as members. These buses will halt in the villages at night, Singh added. This service will benefit students as well as people travelling to courts, offices, or those going to cities to sell their products. The minister added that these buses will be diverted for other services between 10am and 4pm, after which they will return to the villages by 8pm, depending on distance. "The drivers, conductors and cleaners will be residents of nearby villages, ensuring convenience in halting overnight and starting early in the morning. The average life of these buses will be 15 years, although operational permission will initially be granted for 10 years," the transport minister said. The committee chaired by the DM will determine fares at the local level, and ticket prices will remain affordable. Bus operators will be required to provide service to each gram panchayat in block at least twice a day, he said....