Govt gears up for 100 days, annual budget

WHITE PAPER Focus will now be on showcasing achievements

LUCKNOW: After International Yoga Day event, the Yogi Adityanath government is shifting its focus on preparation of a white paper to mark its 100 days in office and the annual budget 2017-2018 to be presented in the forthcoming budget session of the state legislature next month.

All the 84 departments have worked out details about their functioning in the past five years, activities after formation of new government --from March 19 to June 15.

The government’s major challenge will, however, be to mobilise funds for the loan waiver and other promises that it made during the 2017 assembly elections.

The state BJP’s 23-page Lok Kalyan Sankalp Patra-2017 carried over 200 promises. The document has been circulated to all the officers -additional chief secretaries/principal secretaries and secretaries -to identify promises concerning their departments.

“The state government will present the annual budget in the forthcoming budget session likely to commence in the first week of July 2017. It will be devoted to farmers, welfare of people of state and take care about development of industry etc.,” said minister for financé Rajesh Agarwal.

As the state government gives final touches to the annual budget, its major challenge will be to provide funds for the nearly Rs 36359 crore loan waiver.

The cabinet has already decided to float “Kisan Rahat Bonds” to mobilise additional funds for the loan waiver. The Yogi government is looking for other options also to get funds for other development schemes as well.

Another major challenge that the government faces is to find ways to provide an additional sum of about Rs 30,000 crore to meet expenditure of implementing seventh pay commission recommendations.

This includes a sum of Rs 18,000 crore required to meet expenditure on increased salaries and pension and a sum of Rs 10,000 crore to clear arrears to be paid to employees in 20172018.

“The state government will present the annual budget in the forthcoming budget session likely to begin in the first week of July . It will be devoted to farmers, welfare of people of state and take care about development of industry RAJESH AGARWAL, minister for financé