In the first major decision of the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh, the state cabinet on Saturday decided to extend the free ration scheme initiated during the Covid pandemic by three more months.

The programme was supposed to expire in March.

A total of 15 crore people are benefiting from the programme in the state, Adityanath said.

The programme was an important narrative in the just-concluded Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh.

After swearing-in on Friday, the first cabinet meeting of Adityanath's second consecutive government met here this morning.

Notably, Yogi Adityanath took oath as Uttar Pradesh chief minister for the second straight term on Friday in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah and other BJP leaders.

Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brijesh Pathak were sworn in as deputy chief ministers at the Atal Vihari Vajpayee Ekana International Cricket Stadium in state capital Lucknow. Maurya, a powerful OBC leader, is known to share testy ties with Adityanath.

Maurya had been deputy chief minister in the previous Adityanath government as well but lost the election from Sirathu in Kaushambi district. Pathak was law minister in the previous government and has won from Lucknow Cantonment.

Dinesh Sharma, an MLC, had been deputy chief minister along with Maurya earlier. Political observers believe that Sharma, seen as close to Modi, could be given an assignment at the Centre.