LUCKNOW, July 7 -- Jalaun, Rampura, Devkali, Vishnupura, and Marihan development blocks have been named top performers in the 2024-25 Delta Ranking released by the Uttar Pradesh government under its flagship 'Aspirational Development Block' scheme. "Jalaun, Rampura, Devkali, Vishnupura, and Marihan development blocks have collectively been awarded an incentive of Rs.20 crore in recognition of their outstanding performance. The chief minister will soon present awards and incentives to the best-performing aspirational development blocks," stated a press release issued by the state government on Sunday. The ranking is based on comprehensive monitoring of all 108 aspirational development blocks across the state, with performance evaluated from March 2024 to March 2025. Progress was assessed in key thematic areas, including health, education, agriculture, infrastructure, and social development. In this year's Delta Ranking, Jalaun block from Jalaun district secured the top position, followed by Rampura (also in Jalaun), Devkali (Ghazipur), Vishnupura (Kushinagar), and Marihan (Mirzapur), making it to the top five. "According to the incentive structure, the top block will receive Rs 2.5 crore, the second Rs 1.5 crore, the third Rs 1 crore, and the remaining two Rs 50 lakh each," said the press statement. The planning department of Uttar Pradesh is responsible for the continuous monitoring and annual release of the Delta Rankings. According to the 2024-25 Delta Ranking report, in the health and nutrition category, Rampura block of Jalaun district secured the top position, followed by Khesraha (Siddharthnagar) in second place and Jalaun block of Jalaun district in third. On the other hand, Sandila (Hardoi), Salarpur (Badaun), and Junawai (Sambhal) were among the lowest performers in this category. In the education category, Jalaun and Rampura blocks of Jalaun district ranked first and second, respectively, while Devkali block of Ghazipur secured the third position. Blocks like Pandah and Sohna (Ballia) and Chitra (Sonbhadra) lagged in educational indicators. In agriculture and allied services, Vishnupura block of Kushinagar district topped the ranking, followed by Tanda in second place and Sambhal block (Sambhal) in third....