Uttar Pradesh has lifted a long-standing ban on fresh recruitments in the state, opening avenues for five lakh new jobs, including 1.38 lakh in the police force, an official said on Wednesday.

The state cabinet led by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav approved the proposal on Tuesday.

In the proposal, officials said the approved strength of state employees was 10.45 lakh, while there were a staggering 4.97 lakh vacancies.

After due deliberations, a green signal was given for filling up five lakh vacancies in various departments, an official told scribes.

The new recruitments will include posts of laboratory assistants, teachers in government degree colleges and intermediate colleges, besides others.

The departments where these bulk jobs will come up include home, sugar and cane development, basic education, social welfare, forests, panchayati raj, tourism, technical education, minority welfare, revenue, secondary education and minority welfare, the official added.