Yogi Adityanath-led UP government’s Finance Minister Suresh Khanna on Monday, 22 February, presented a budget of Rs 5,50,270 crore in the state Assembly. Uttar Pradesh’s first paperless budget also included an outlay of Rs 27,598 crore for new schemes.
The budget, which comes amid preparations for the state’s panchayat elections and ahead of the Assembly elections, which are less than a year away, is over Rs 37,410 crore more than the previous year’s allocation of state funds.
Reading the speech from his laptop, the state finance minister dedicated the budget to youth and employment, saying that the government aims to make UP ‘atmanirbhar’ (self-sufficient).
Khanna also proclaimed that the Ayodhya airport will be named after Maryada Purushottam Ram, and highlighted the government’s action on crime and women’s safety.
Owing to the lockdowns amid COVID-19 pandemic, the UP government allotted Rs 100 crore for a new scheme, ‘Mukhyamantri Pravasi Shramik Udyantika Vikas Yojana.’ This is being introduced to provide employment and self-employment to the workers of the state.
Further, the Budget focussed on education, women, youth, infrastructure, farmers among others.
What Did the Budget Say on Education?
- Rs 1,950 crore were allotted for new medical colleges to be built in 13 districts, and Rs 960 crore for medical colleges currently under construction in 8 districts.
- The Budget provided Rs 100 crore for Atal Bihari Vajpayee Medical University, Lucknow.
- Rs 175 crore provisioned for the purpose of building new medical colleges in Amethi-Balrampur.
- A state university is to be established in every division.
- Free uniforms, shoe-stocking, school bags to be provided for all children of classes 1-8.
- A budget of Rs 3,406 crore was allotted for the mid-day meal scheme.
- In the 2021-2022 budget, Rs 18,172 was provisioned for the Composite Education Campaign.
- It was announced that a Sainik School will be set up in Gorakhpur.
What About Women?
- Rs 1,200 crore were allotted for the Mukhya Mantri Kanya Sumangal Scheme.
- A budget of Rs 200 crore was announced for a new scheme, ‘Mahila Samarthya Yojana.’
- Rs 32 crore were provisioned for the establishment of Women Power Centres.
- A fund of Rs 100 crore was announced for the purpose of tackling malnutrition in women and children under ‘Mukhya mantri Saksham Suraksha Yojana.’
What Did the Budget Allocate Towards Youth Empowerment?
- Free tablets for students under ‘Mukhya Mantri Abhyudan Yojana,’ for free exam coaching for and setting up of model career centres in 12 districts.
- Free hostels for poor students in Sanskrit school.
- Rs 25 crore allotted for stadiums, gyms in villages
- Rs 20 crore for Sports University in Meerut.
Budget Highlights for Airports, Infrastructure
- The budget has proposed Rs 1,107 crore for Yojan Purvanchal Expressway, Rs 1,492 crore for Bundelkhand expressway and Rs 860 crore for Gorakhpur link expressway.
- Under the special area programme, the budget also provides for Rs 300 crore for Purvanchal and Rs 210 crore for Bundelkhand.
- Rs 7,200 crore allocated for land acquisition of Ganga Expressway project and Rs 489 crore for construction work.
- For the ongoing construction of Maryada Purushottam Airport in Ayodhya, a budget of Rs 101 crore was proposed.
- Rs 2,000 crore allocated for the purpose of increasing airstrips in Noida’s Jewar airport.
What About Farmers?
- An outlay of Rs 100 crore was announced for "Atma Nirbhar Krishak Samanvit Vikas Yojna" to double farmers' income by 2022.
- Rs 600 crore allotted for the “Mukhyamantri Krishak Durghatna Kalyan Yojana,” and Rs 700 crore provisioned to facilitate free water to farmers.
- Rs 400 crore allotted for giving crop loans at concessional rates.
- Establishment of new Krishi Vigyan Kendra was announced for disseminating information about farming.
What Did the Budget Allocate in Terms of Health and Cleanliness?
- Budget of Rs 50 crore for COVID vaccination.
- Budget of Rs 5,395 crore for the National Rural Health Mission ‘Rashtriya Gramin Swasthya.’
- An outlay of Rs 1,300 crore for Ayushman Bharat scheme.
- Establishment of Institute of Virology and Infectious Disease biosafety lab in Lucknow.
- A budget of Rs 15,000 crore announced for installation of taps door-to-door.
- Rs 2,031 crore allocated to build 12,13,000 toilets under the rural Swachh Bharat Mission.
- Rs 1,400 crore for the urban Swachh Bharat Mission.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)