Infra gets big share in UP’s ₹5.50L cr budget
New schemes worth Rs 27,598.40 crore announced in state’s first paperless budget
LUCKNOW : The Uttar Pradesh government on Monday presented a Rs 5,50,270.78 crore budget for the financial year 2021-22 that proposes new schemes worth Rs 27,598.40 crore, but no new taxes despite a high deficit.
The state’s first paperless budget promises to please all by “empowering different sections” with “self-reliance, integrated and inclusive development”. It comes a year ahead of the 2022 assembly elections and is over Rs 37,000 crore more than the previous year’s budget size of about Rs 5.12 lakh crore.
Minister for finance Suresh Khanna began his budget address by referring to the challenges of Covid-19 pandemic, the relief work carried out and how the country and its people had overcome difficulties under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He said, “Following our efforts, economy activity is gaining momentum.”
Chief minister Yogi Adityanath, his ministers and members of the BJP thumped the desks again and again in the state assembly as Khanna read out the announcements and promises in his 45-page address laced with brief poetry. The Opposition members heard him attentively as Khanna completed his address in nearly 1.40 hours. A large screen was put up in the assembly hall to enable the minister to read out his address and many members, who have been given special training for a paperless budget, were seen making last minute enquiries about the same there. The state cabinet, at its paperless meeting held at the chief minister’s residence, approved the budget before it was presented in the state assembly.
“The state government is sensitive towards the problems of farmers, women, youths, entrepreneurs and labourers,” said Khanna, while making token allocations for various infrastructure development projects that include expressways and metro rail projects.
Khanna said the state government was working on the mantra of making UP self-reliant and said a number of campaigns had been launched to establish the rule of law in the state. He also spoke about the industrial reforms that make setting up of industry easy in UP and improved connectivity in schools/colleges by development of digital villages to make the youth aware about education and employment scenario in the world.
A sum of Rs 101 crore has been earmarked for an upcoming airport at Ayodhya that has been named Maryada Purusottam Sriram Airport. A sum of Rs 300 crore has been set aside for construction of approach roads to the Ram temple in Ayodhya.
A cow shelter would be developed in every nyay panchayat. There would be free hostel and food as per the Gurukul System for poor students of Sanskrit schools. A sum of Rs 20 crore has been earmarked for setting up of a sports university in Meerut, Rs 100 crore for Aatm Nirbhar Krishak Samanvit Vikas Yojana (self-reliance and coordinated development of farmers) to fill gaps in achieving the objective of doubling income of farmers and Mukhyamantri Saksham Suposhan Yojana with token allocation of Rs 100 crore for malnourished women and children.
The state government estimates receipts of Rs 5,06,181.84 crore and proposes to spend a sum of Rs 5,50,270.78 crore, thereby leaving a deficit of Rs 44,088.94 crore in the budget for 2021-2022. It proposes to take Rs 5,500 crore from the public account to bring down the deficit to Rs 37,988.94 crore. The state government would incur an estimated fiscal deficit of Rs 90,729 crore or about 4.17 percent of the GSDP. The state’s total borrowings are also estimated to be 28.1% of the GSDP on March 31, 2022. The state government did not give a road map on how it would meet the remaining deficit.
“UP’s budget has focus on socio-economic infrastructure, construction of roads and bridges with allocations made for medical and health, education and other sectors. A lot of promises have been made though more new schemes may have been announced in a large sized budget,” said Yashvir Tyagi, former professor at the department of economics, Lucknow University.