LUCKNOW: Complimenting the government of Uttar Pradesh for its efforts to build a “new” UP, chairman emeritus of the Tata Group , Ratan Tata , said on Monday, he was “losing his heart to this state”. Tata was in Lucknow to witness the signing of a long-term understanding between the Government of UP and Tata Trusts for philanthropic work in the areas of nutrition, primary education and agriculture.

Offering unconditional help to build Uttar Pradesh, Tata said, “If there’s anything we can do together to help you build this state, I will dedicate whatever time, effort or energies, personally, that it will take of me. I admire the fact you are doing great things. And I think you should consider that I am a friend of you, and your state.”

Laying emphasis on the fact that Uttar Pradesh is often “misunderstood and underplayed”, Tata also said UP is a state that will “take its place in the country and lead the way, in many ways”.

On Monday, the UP government and Tata Trusts entered into a long-term partnership for community development related works. The multi-dimensional MoU was signed by UP chief secretary Alok Ranjan, and chief executive of the Tata Trusts, R Venkatraman, in the presence of CM Akhilesh Yadav and Tata. Venkatraman said Tata Trusts will primarily support UP on four programmes; anaemia control interventions and strengthening maternal and child health, children’s education through infusion of technology and life skills training, and solar energy. Promising to assist Tata Trusts in every way, chief minister Akhilesh Yadav said he was grateful for Tata’s visit to the state. “We, in the government of UP, ask for nothing but your presence in UP. That, itself, should galvanise us, and bring about winds of change in UP,” Akhilesh said.

As part of the understanding, Tata Trusts will extend its support to the UP government in running poverty alleviation programmes, for employment generation, and in increasing income and infrastructure development.

Execution of work and monitoring will be overseen by a joint state-level steering committee comprising representatives of the state government and the Tata Trusts. The cooperation will extend, primarily in the area of mother and infant health, preparing and implementation of nutrition programmes for mothers and children, including special anaemia control programmes for women.

Among other initiatives, the government and the Tata Trusts will also devise a mechanism for early detection of cancer and set up a cancer registry centre. Both parties are also expected, as part of this understanding, to work together in the area of providing quality education and job-oriented training in various sectors.

Under the MoU, developing off-grid solar energy as well as solar energy-based irrigation system, establishing solar water lifting pumps, hi-tech plant nurseries, introduction of improved varieties and techniques of horticulture, assimilation of varieties, agro-forestry, bio-farming and combined efforts to increase agriculture harvest, mechanisation, post-harvest management are some initiatives involved.

The MoU also encompasses safe storage, agri-marketing, encouraging micro-irrigation, developing high quality seeds, development of value chain for milk, menthol, garlic, onion, maize, pulses, banana and potatoes.