With the aim of making Uttar Pradesh ‘atmanirbhar’, the Yogi Adityanath-led state government on Monday presented a Rs 5,50,270.78 crore budget for 2021-22 in the state Assembly.
The budget, which was presented by Finance Minister Suresh Kumar Khanna, placed added emphasis on the need to make Uttar Pradesh ‘self-reliant’ following a clarion call given by PM Modi, urging people to become ‘atmanirbhar’ in the wake of widespread disruptions faced due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Here are the salient highlights of the budget presented in the UP Assembly:
Major push for infrastructural development
With an eye on taking the infrastructural capability of the state to the next level, the UP finance minister today announced Rs 10, 029 crores for housing, Rs 2,200 crore for Amrit Yojana, Rs 2,000 crores for Smart City Project, Rs 1,000 crores for Mukhya Mantri Samagra Sampada Vikas Yojana, Rs 7,000 crores for PM Awas Gramin and Rs 5,000 crores for PM Sadak Yojana.
State Finance Minister Suresh Khanna announced that Rs 1,326 crore has been given for Delhi-Meerut RRTS, while Rs 100 crore each have been proposed for Gorakhpur-Varanasi Metro. The approved cost of the Kanpur Metro Rail project is Rs 11,076 crore. A provision of Rs 597 crore is proposed for the project in the budget of the financial year 2021-2022.
The Yogi Adityanath government has also increased the budget for the development of the state’s expressways. Rs 1,107 crore has been proposed for Purvanchal Expressway, Rs 1,492 crore for Bundelkhand Expressway, Rs 860 crore has been passed for Gorakhpur Link Expressway project and Rs 7200 crore for Ganga Expressway.
All round development of Ayodhya
The focus of the UP budget has also been on the overall development of the holy city Ayodhya. A total of Rs 140 crore have been allocated for the same and the development of Suryakund in Ayodhya. The name of the airport under construction in the district Ayodhya will be Maryada Purushottam Shriram Airport Ayodhya and a provision of Rs 101 crore is proposed for it. Additionally, Rs 300 crore has been proposed for Ram Mandir to Ayodhya Dham Road and Rs 100 crores have been proposed for tourism in Ayodhya.
A University in every division
The Yogi Adityanath-led government has also laid out an ambitious plan to overhaul education in the state. According to the budget, a university will be established in every division and Rs 200 crore have been earmarked for setting up model colleges in 26 districts across the state. The government has also committed Rs 18, 172 crores under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan programme.
Benefits extended to the state’s farming community
Even as the protests by a section of so-called ‘farmers’ continue along the Delhi border against the three newly introduced Farm Laws, the UP government has placed greater emphasis on helping the farming community of the state by providing them with pensions, subsidised loans, and improving irrigation facilities.
Khanna announced Rs 3,100 crore for farmers’ pension, Rs 400 crore for loans to farmers on subsidised rates, Rs 700 crore for irrigation, Rs 600 crore for Krishi Durghatna Yojana, and Rs 100 crore for Atma Nirbhar Krishik Samanvit Vikas Yojana.
Yogi Adityanath lauds financial budget 2021-22
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has called the financial budget 2021-22 of the state government an all-inclusive budget representing the emotions of the state’s 24 crore people. Lauding the finance minister for providing the first paperless budget, the chief minister said with ‘Sabka Saath Sabka Vishwas’, the budget aims to bring, taps, electricity, roads, water in every household, alongside making every village digital.
Speaking with the media after Suresh Khanna presented the budget in the Assembly, Yogi Adityanath said the budget would help in connecting rural areas for the first time with modern banking facilities, provide common service centre, and employ women in community toilets. Such initiatives, Yogi said, would give a new dimension to the state’s efforts in empowering women and helping the rural population to become self-reliant.
Referring to the importance of financial discipline in the wake of problems in revenue collection during the Corona period, the Chief Minister stressed the need of improving ‘Ease of Living’ and attaining ‘Self-reliant Uttar Pradesh’ to speed up the efforts for holistic and inclusive development and self-reliance of various sections.
Yogi Adityanath also spoke about the initiatives that the government has brought in to help different sections of society. He highlighted the Kisan Accident Insurance Scheme for farmers, ensuring social security for nearly one crore migrant workers in unorganised sector and schemes such as Mukhyamantri Saksham Suchitran Yojana for children suffering from anemia.
“The measures such as establishment of Sainik Schools and one State University each, Establishment of Medical Colleges with PPP model in unserved districts, Establishment of Law University in Prayagraj, Extension of Jal Jeevan Mission Scheme, Road connectivity development in rural areas, International Airport in Ayodhya and Kushinagar would take the country to great heights,” CM Yogi Adityanath said.
