Lucknow, May 14 (IANS): Within 24 hours of the announcement by the Centre, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath gave out loans worth Rs 2002 crore to 56,754 entrepreneurs in the MSME sectors on Thursday.

Preparations to strengthen the MSME sector had already been made in the state which has now become the first state in the country to disburse such a large amount of loan.

With one click, the chief minister not only disbursed the loan but also inaugurated the online loan mela in the state.

The chief minister said that the loans given to 56,754 units will ensure employment for two lakh people.

Yogi Adityanath, while showcasing the single-window system, said that he was committed to turning the workers and labourers into the strength of the state. He said he would 'wipe off the blot of migration' from Uttar Pradesh and generate skilled employment.

The chief minister said that it would be his endeavour to ensure that idols of Indian gods and goddesses are not imported from China for Diwali. He said that terracotta idols from Gorakhpur are of much better quality.

He said that during the ongoing Corona crisis, 26 units manufacturing PPE kits had come up in the state.

Yogi Adityanath further said that MSME units would focus on the 'One district, One Product' (ODOP) scheme and would turn local into global, as directed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.